Nova Corps 2: Operation Red Dragon (Main Story)
by THANOSRULES
Summary: This is the main story surrounding the Nova Corps planned defense of the planet Pericles' Crossing in the Andromeda Galaxy against the Badoon, stars Richard Rider, the Nova Corps, a future team of Avengers, Nick Fury, Many old Guardians of The Galaxy and several other Marvel characters. (24 chapters)
1. Chapter 1

Richard Rider looked back at his men as he soared through the vacuum of space.

The last patrol ships had arrived in formation. The black of space flashed with arriving warp engine signatures of his Nova Corps fleet. The two carriers had made it from the nearby systems and were running at full strength. Nick Fury's ship _The Rogers_ had just arrived as well. Rider did not expect him to make it so quick. I_t was a damn good way to start the day,_ Rich thought.

The Badoon counter attack of Pericles' Crossing was underway. The Nova Corps, despite set back after set back, were ready for it. Six months of secrecy to formulate an incredible plan was about to pay off. O_peration: Red Dragon_ was now a full go.

_We were going to turn this war around today_, Rider thought. _Nothing can stop us_.

"Flarking PC" Centurion Clendenon said to Rider as they flew in formation. Next to Clendenon and Rider were an assortment of Nova Centurions and costumed allied "Flyers" as they were called. Most of the Centurions wore modified Nova Corps inter stellar battle suits designed by Tony Stark.

Rider gave Clendenon a quick glance and then looked at the dusky planet below. PC was a hellhole meat grinder, but even still, it looked beautiful from space. The radiant red streams of liquid magma mixed with the rich obsidian of the mountainous continents contrasted nicely with the grey carbon heavy clouds of the atmosphere.

In the northern hemisphere of the planet, the green band of the "sweet spot" glowed like a magic ring of power. The "sweet spot" was the only vestige of a habitable climate in PC. It was a reminder that miracles were _real, and death was always around lurking._ Even in this cold and cruel galaxy, things needed to fight to survive. There were few planets like PC in the Universe.

As he looked into the flashes of battle and the red bursts of volcanic eruptions from space, Rich thought to himself, _PC was a good place for a warrior to die._

Even still, despite the years, Rich never thought of himself as a warrior. He wanted to die many years from now , watching the Jets at his friend's house in Nyack with a cool Miller light in his hand and grandchildren running around him. As poetic as it would be , Rider had no plans to cash in here at flarking PC.

Then, in the expanse closer to the sun, the mega flashes of Badoon warp engines arrived as expected. The warp drives popped in bright neon flashes of green and yellow. Tachyon fields broke with the conflagration of real space/time and unloaded a kaleidoscopic fireworks show of bright blues and sparkling orange. Twenty thousand ships at least. It was the Andromeda fleet in all her strength. The beast was with her, the _Scourge of Andromeda_ and the _Deconstructor of Worlds_, the mega battleship they called T_he Red Dragon_. It burst into the system with the blinding flash of scarlet.

"Look alive men, that's going to be our guests, and they're right on time." Rich told the group.

"Warp signatures detected: Omega class destroyer recorded. CAUTION" The robotic world mind voice went out over the comm. link.

The main wing of the fleet soared forward toward the Badoon armada. The mass of Nova Corps ships slowly advanced waiting patiently for the signal to launch the attack. All the assembled Corpsmen felt the anticipation of battle as the sight of their enemy was in view.

Richard Rider, was flying in the front of the main attack complement. Rider's wing was nearly forty troops. Most were Nova Corpsman, but some were myriad of volunteer and conscripted heroes from the Allied planets. _The United Front._ Trailing behind Rider were ten more flights of Nova Corpsmen. They flew in unison to form the main attack complement of _Operation: Red Dragon_. Further back yet, a thousand Nova ships of various shapes and sizes followed in trail. It was a huge armada of fighters, destroyers, frigates, some larger deluxe gunships and torpedo ships. They all flew proudly in standard support positions behind the lines of corpsmen. The massive hyper carriers pulled up the rear, a stream of smaller fighters and reserve flying centurions stood in the rear to guard them.

Truth be told, the Nova's flotilla was the last remnant of a desperate force. _Operation: Red Dragon_ was a last ditch effort by the Allied Nova Corps to turn this war around and save the Universe from the plague of the Badoon war machine.

There were not many cargo frigates or medical vessels in this fleet. They were hiding behind a brown dwarf two light years away. This was a war party.

_Titan's Fury_ , the destroyer extraordinaire and Nova Corps legendary vessel flew below and slightly staggered from Rider's main attack wing. On board, Eros of Titan stared in the _Fury's_ monitors with a sullen and straight face. The Captain of the ship, the former Guardian of the Galaxy (or Guardian to be, depending how you saw it) Vance Astro, stood behind his friend Eros as he held in his hand the battle worn shield of Captain America.

"Glad you could make it, Vance" Rider said into his communication feed.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world, Richie Boy," Vance said back to him.

Eros could not fathom the sheer size of the Badoon fleet before him. It was easily twenty thousand ships and armored Badoon space troopers. In the middle of the Badoon throng , was the massive snaking living vessel called _The Red Dragon._ Its red eyes burned with the fires of the ancient _Place of All Concordance_. The reflective scales lined the hull of the beast and gleamed with a scarlet aura of a fire elemental. It seemed more like a thing of Gods and magic than a creation of science. In between its scales, energy surged like hot Magma. The serpentine juggernaut was nearly the size of an asteroid belt. It was a starship and nightmare all in one.

"My God" Eros groaned, as he gave a worried look to Astrovik. He had never seen the Dragon before.

Rider's voice came over the link, sent out to all of the allies in the formation. "Remember, keep your separation and proper intervals. Don't anybody jump the gun. We keep to the plan no matter what."

Rider and his wing swayed up and down through space.

"When the shooting starts, Alpha Wing hits the Dragon hard. Formation pattern Zulu, starboard to the ear drums." Rider said in his comm link , "All other units follow suit with all your assigned fields of fire." Riders voice clicked in and out, "Flyers will distract _The Dragon_ while _The Rogers_ injects the boarding shell in its ear. "Then we keep the fleet occupied while the Avengers do their thing." Rider came on once more, "I cannot stress enough, Keep your fields of fire."

"Firelord is the mark, we wait on him to engage" Rider added.

Pyreus Kril, the Xandarian named Firelord, who was flying next to Rider in formation ,nodded in acknowledgement."Aye" He said in his link.

Rider sailed through space and thought to himself what to say next, it was not the first time he had to speak words like this.

"You guys know me. I'm not one for speeches, but just remember.. everybody, if we screw this up _everyone_ down there fighting on PC is _toast_. _Everybody dies_."RIder said calmly."Its no different than it ever is. I'm not worried about that. Watch your rear and the man next to you and everybody will be ok. We can do it. Rider out." The comm channel clicked as the armada advanced.

Not one corpsman showed signs of panic as the fleet inched forward.


	2. Chapter 2

On board the forward battle carrier _The Rogers_, the Avengers boarding team sat in the shoot tube. James Quill, aka _The Star Lord_, prepped his rifle with some last minute modifications. In just a few seconds, the boarding shell would shoot from _The Rogers_ main battle tube at _seven hundred_ times the speed of light and penetrate _The Red Dragon's_ Photonic Shield and Outer Hull.

If the inertial dampeners did their job, the super heated pod would then pop out the Avengers team deep into the center of the impenetrable alien ship to wreak havoc and deploy "the package" on the main fusion core. The pod would also cause major damage in the process. The system was a new super weapon designed by the genius Amadeus Cho. It _had_ to work.

Elvin Holiday, aka Rage, looked at Quill. James was wearing his father's battle armor, the one his dad had worn in his prime fighting in T_he Phalanx War_. "Just relax Quill, it will be just like on Halaa. No problem."

Quill looked back at Rage and kept cleaning his weapon, "We lost _The Defenders_ and half the _X men_ on Halla, Elvin. I'm hoping this goes a little better."

"Look alive men, any minute now." The older bearded soldier who was dressed vaguely like Captain America said as he took out two small sub machine guns from the overheard bin. His name was John Walker, also known as the US Agent.

"Quill did you pack the iridium bangalores?" Walker asked.

"Yeah, John they are in the second bin." Quill answered.

"By the way, John..I got a question that's been roasting me alive." Quill asked.

"Yeah?" He replied as he checked and rechecked his weapons.

"How do we get off that ship once we pop their top? I assume this present is going to make a big bang." Quill asked

"Who says we are going anywhere? Don't assume Quill, just do as your told. Your new here kid, but your going to have to trust me." He said as he smiled. He was missing a front tooth.

Quill looked around, hiding his sarcastic facial expression behind his mask_. What a flarking ass Walker was. Quill wondered, When the hell was this outfit going to trust him enough to include me in the so called inner circle? _

Walker kept his eyes on Quill for a moment, as if to challenge him to ask more questions. Quill was silent.

Behind Walker, the Inhumans Luna and Red Bolt sat waiting for the battle. A man dressed in the Kree uniform of the original Captain Marvel held his nega bands together as he waited in the fuselage of the pod. His name was Nohh Varr, others called him _Captain Marvel_. Beside him, sat the former villain Count Nefaria. Nefaria was missing half his face and had a bionic attachment fused on his head.

They were the _Mighty Avengers_, or at least what passed for them this week. They had a high turnover rate these days.

Iron Man came into the pod. His armor was deeply weathered and battle scarred. "Walker's right, thirty seconds..strap in." He said. Iron Man sealed the pod from outside. The pod closed with the sound of a hermetic vacuum seal.

Quill felt his ears adjust to the pressure.


	3. Chapter 3

Moondragon stood next to Nick Fury on the bridge of _The Rogers_. She concentrated her telepathic powers on a deep mental probe of the shifting space Dragon and the Badoon fleet. Anything she could get would provide clues about the thoughts (and strategy) of those on board.

Moondragon lost herself in the deep mental trance.

_The Badoon thought patterns were always so chaotic. so violent, she thought. There were Snarks and Chitauri among the Badoon. Their minds were different. But there was something even more unique in the sea of battle. The new God's of the Badoon, the ones called the Uplifted, their minds were different. They were radiant minds. Beautiful and deadly. The only other comparison was an Asgardian. They were so intense to read._

Suddenly, Moondragon's head spasmed with intense pain. _Damn, I went too far_, she thought as she fell to the metal deck.

Slowly, she lifted up her head and sat upright. Blood was running down her nose. _Not the Dragon but the Badoon carrier next to it._

She looked at the "Old man" standing next to her. It was Nick Fury.

"There are Badoon _Uplifted_ on board _the large carrier next to the Dragon__,_ Fury" she said as she wiped the streaks of blood from her nose. "I feel two of them, _The Mountain_ and _The Moon_. They hid their presence from me. We should call off the attack."

Fury only glanced at Heather Douglas. He turned his head and looked out at the approaching fleet. He stared into the jumble of Badoon ships, deep in thought.

" No " Fury said as he chewed on his cigar.

Moondragon looked at him with squinted eyes."Why? What's your game Fury?"

"No games. I don't get surprised, lady. " Fury said as he kept looking out the portal. "Besides, where would we run to? I'm not leaving the Corps to die down there on PC." He said. "As you spacers say, no Flarking way."

He turned around to look at the bald woman, who once again looked like she was only eighteen years old."But don't worry cutie.. these so called gods.." he added, "..I got a plan for them." He said with a smile.


	4. Chapter 4

Rider looked at the serpentine motion of the ridges on the massive Dragon ship. _It even moved like a real dragon,_ he thought. Rider knew it was moving closer into range and the fight was about to begin.

Rich looked down at Firelord and nodded. "On you Pyr, for Xandar my buddy. We'll be right behind you."

"No Richard Rider, this is for your _Long Island_, my friend." Firelord said to Rider as they flew closer, "It was an honor to fight with you Nova Prime." He said as he broke off toward the heart of the Badoon fleet.

He left only a cloud of trailing cosmic brimstone in his wake..

On the Badoon Hyper Carrier _The Soul Stealer_, the towering Badoon figure loomed on the bridge of the ship. He was dressed in the blood red sacred armor of the _Uplifted_. It was special armor, forged by one of his brothers_, The_ _Smith of the Sanctified Blade_ , and born in the fires of the _Realm of Molten Pain_ . The giant's red Badoon eyes glowed deep vermilion with the aura of divinity. This Badoon was a God. He possessed the untold power of the united Badoon Empire at his finger tips. He was nearly twice the size of a normal Badoon. By his side, was a massive battle worn axe. Like all divine weapons it had a name. It was the monstrous blood shedder known as _Tyrrorbilt._

This Badoon God was known as _He Who Reaves Mountains _and he stood on the bridge of the ship looking atthe insignificant troop of Nova Corps fleas_. "The foolish mammals will all die this day. Tyrrorbilt_ will drink their blood." He said to his sister, a shimmering Badoon woman clad in blinding polished metal armor.

_The Moon's Chilling Glow, _his loving sister_, _stood by his side and laughed. "You are always so confident brother! They have proven strong fighters and the Prime demon is with them. They are worthy foes."

"The Prime is old and weak. We will crush him and his silly men." The armored lizard king stated as he pressed buttons on his monitor."I will chew on his bones and suck the Nova force from his human marrow, it will be sweet."

General Maargoyle watched the two Gods banter from his side terminal on board his vessel , _The Red Dragon_. Maargoyle was no God, but he was a Badoon of power. The commander of the Andromedan invasion flotilla. _The Razor of Andromeda and the Negative Zone._ The General wore the hallow carapace of the entity formerly known as Annihilus as a reminder of his victories . On the suit, was still affixed the artifact of power known as the _cosmic control rod_. General Maargoyle had skinned the chitin shell of the damn locust and claimed this trophy when he slew the Lord of the negative zone.

"My Lords, the fleet awaits your orders" He said to his god, _He Who Reaves Mountains._

"Yes, even now they think we do not know their plan, what pathetic mammals. Why do they not know we are their Gods?" He said as he lifted _Tyrrorbilt _above his head. General Maargoyle only looked into his monitor and memorized the Nova Corps formations he saw.

_He Who Reaves Mountains_ approached the communication panel and spoke into the terminal, "Ships of the Badoon , concentrate your songs of destruction on the ship highlighted on your monitor. It is known as _The Rogers_. Full attack , now_."_

_The Moon's Chilling Glow_ smiled at her brother. She saw such strength in him. In her thoughts, she pondered, their father, _The Warrior Above All_ . He would be so proud.

When the _Uplifted_ returned from their thousand year sleep and reunited the weak and lost brothers and sisters of the Badoon, the Universe did not expect such divine strength.

Yes, _The Warrior Above All_ is proud of all of his children...he beams with pride for all Badoon. The mammals _would_ certainly die today, _The Moon's Chilling Glow_ thought as she smiled.

Maargoyle said nothing as he ordered his units to attack.


	5. Chapter 5

Firelord sailed toward the approaching mass of Badoon ships. Several Badoon medium destroyers with support fighters peppered the blazing Xandarian warrior with ineffective laser fire. His speed was unimaginable as he soared silently toward the Badoon center ranks. He was the tip of the spear, a corona of destruction.

For a moment, Pyreus closed his eyes and felt the cosmic winds on his face. He was traveling so fast now.. he was barely a blur. A huge cosmic flame enveloped his body as he turned into a _living torpedo_. The war had made even the great former herald of Galactus weary of battle. He was so tired of strife and death now. In his mind, visions of his days riding the cosmic winds with his former master Galactus formed. He had been the _Avatar for the Destroyer of Worlds_. Pyreus would never say it, but he tired of even that memory. Those days had been empty. No, there was only one era the Firelord truly missed. Pyreus longed to feel the cool breeze of Xandar on his face and the gentle touch of his daughter once more. That was his only peace. It was the only place he knew solace, but it was gone. Those days were so long ago, how he wished he could go back in time and feel that breeze once more.

But Pyreus Kril was no sacrificial lamb. This was not a suicide. He was the _Firelord_, and if the Badoon wanted to kill him, they would have to earn his death.

The mass of cosmic flame hit the Badoon lead destroyer with the force of the power cosmic. The aftershock erupted with a refracting ring of kinetic destruction and obliterated several nearby ships.

Firelord's body passed through the twisted metal and went out the other side of the ship. The sealed starship's frames popped with burst hulls and the incoming vacuum of space. He continued on with such force that he buried himself into two more Badoon gunships. A massive series of explosions erupted from the Badoon fleet as the last living Herald of Galactus came to a stop. He stood ready as he whipped his charged stave in front of his body, the power cosmic coursed through his blood.

_Let them know this battle has begun_, Firelord thought.

The cosmic man of fire presented himself face to face with the heart of the Badoon Fleet, a formation of Badoon hyper carriers were dead ahead, "Ready yourself you Lizard dogs! For today you will feel the might of the power Cosmic!" Firelord shouted.

Meanwhile, Richard Rider's Nova Corps Wings followed through on the mark of the signal. The attack was now fully initiated and space was ablaze with the flash of battle. Wing after wing of Corpsmen dived for the hot fray. A group split off toward the lone Firelord, while the rest headed for the heart of the battle. The massive arclights of laser and proton cannons erupted in a mutual volley. Flak clouds burst all around the Nova Corps force. The scene was like a maelstrom, but the vacuum of space was quite as death.

On board _The_ _Titan's Fury_, Starfox barked orders at the Skrull Paibok and the Nova Centurion Bradley at the firing controls. With the creek of bending adamantium, the _Titan's Fury _leered toward the fray with its main proton cannons blasting away. The ship's guns relentlessly focused on the mass of Badoon ships lurching forward. In seconds, the _Fury_ had ravaged several Badoon destroyers.

"Keep it on the Carriers Eros, the flyers have the dragon." Astrovik said as he stood monitoring the battle.

"Yeah, easy for you to say, that thing is insane." Eros said.

Rider dove headfirst at nearly the speed of light for _The Red Dragon_. On Rider's side was his closest lieutenant these days, Wendell Vaughn, the man known as Quasar. Quasar effortlessly kept up with the frenetic pace of Rider. Wendell was little more than a being of pure quantum energy these days. Behind Vaughn was Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, who was burning bright in his most deadly supernova form. A slew of armored Corpsman came behind them.

"Keep your intervals men, spacing is everything.", Rider said.

As Rider's main "V" formation of forty Corpsmen advanced on _The Red Dragon_ the need for proper spacing was obvious. The Badoon destroyers were pounding the flyers with flak clouds. One by one, Corpsman were hit with shrapnel and exploded. The right distance between units was all that kept the unit moving forward and the whole V functioning.

The Dragon ship was a massive sight to behold. Based loosely on the old Chitauri living star serpent ships , the massive beast was half living entity and half machine. Its weapons could level planets and the sight of the monster could drive lesser species mad with fear.

The Dragon met the oncoming rushes of Corpsmen like flocks of sand flies. Massive metal cables, made from a substance much like adamantium, whipped across the solar skies tearing Nova corpsman and small ship to pieces. The giant tail whipped around and took out a whole wing of Corpsmen. Blasts from gun embankments on the ships's skin ripped through the ranks as well. As the lasers flew, explosions from dying corpsmen lit up the broadside of the Badoon dreadnaught.

On board The Red Dragon, General Margoyle continued to stare straight faced at the battle monitor, his arms folded behind him in a form of parade rest.

"That tail's murder on those flyers Vance." Eros said.

"Keep on the carrier Eros, murder or not, we have our orders." Vance replied.

_The Titan's Fury_ swept down and kept on target with the lead Badoon hyper carrier, in front of it, Firelord now led a small wing of Nova Corpsmen in space fighters as they made firing sorties on the row of Carriers.

"Clear for Torpedo blast!" Johnny Storm said as the wing split and parted like the red sea.

Rich RIder broke off from what was left of his wing and went on a massive solo gun run in front of the mouth of the ship. He unleashes a pair of controlled gravometric bursts into the center of the thing's forehead.

Instantly, there was a flash on _The Rogers_ and the Blue cannon fire of the Ion torpedo flashed brilliantly in space. Metal panels shook in the whole fleet and rivits pattered with vibration. The torpedo sailed at hundreds of times the speed of light and buried itself into the dragon's side.

The thing let out a massive robotic roar. Badoon ships and Nova Corpsmen burst into flaming explosion around the point of impact. When the debris cloud had cleared , until the cloud of debris settled and there was only a small patch of damage.

"Jesus Rich, I hope the breaching pod can get through, that torpedo did nothing."

"It will Wendell, we just gotta do our part. Keep on it."

On board _The Rogers_, Nick Fury noticed the hail of cannon fire aimed at the ship. Once again, it was no surprise. Fury noticed the streaming party breaking off from the main Badoon fleet heading right for them.

"Moondragon, give the order to fire the pod when ready." Tell security to get ready for a security breach.

"I don't understand Nick? What breach? The ship is fine.. we are behind two rows of ships!" Heather asked.

"Use those powers you got." Fury said as he pointed to the monitor. "Probe that speck of incoming light with you mind tricks…tell me what you feel." Fury said, chewing on his cigar.

Moondragon looked deep into the monitor. The sharp pain returned to her head. She _understood._

"Oh my God, not him.." Moondragon said.

"Yep, fun's about to start sweets, I want Drax and his men up here now." Fury said to Moondragon.

Moondragon wiped the blood again from her nose as it dripped to the floor of the ship..

The dark fuselage had no lights, save for a few faint glows from vital panels within the ship. Light flashed outside the thick glass portal like the ship was spinning in circles.t was quiet on board . Not one of the figures uttered a word as they waited to sing deaths song. The ship lunged up and down as it sailed through the flak clouds of the battle above PC. It streamed right for its intended target: The Nova Corps hyper carrier _The Rogers_.

There was a sharp green glow from the rear of the ship, where a member of the _Uplifted_ sat.

The thing in the back was a mountain, just like his brother. Armored to the core, huge ichor stained green armor plates and spaulders protected what looked like a giant body of bubbling emerald liquid. He held a great razor edged war mace in both hands as he sat at the rear of the ship. He spoke no words. He never did. This God was a divine weapon.

Sitting before him, on each side of the ship's walls were twenty eight Elite Badoon Menacers. They were the greatest champions of the Seventy Nine Badoon worlds. All of them were hand picked by _He above all_ as the greatest warriors in the Badoon empire.

The green _thing_ of course had a name.

_That Which Cleanses the Weak ,_was the_ living water that __would destroy these mammals__. PC would fall. Andromeda would fall. All the worthless mammal pests would see the Badoon conquer all! THey would all soak and burn in my flowing blood, It thought._

_"Prepare to board." __He said in the dark ship__. Outside, the battle raged._


	6. Chapter 6

With rapid speed, Tony Stark factored the complex equations. The Iron Avenger worked furiously at the guidance controls of the "shoot tube" cannon on board T_he Rogers_. Surrounding Tony, were a compliment of four of his inner guard, elite Nova Corpsmen trained to wear his older Iron Man suits. These were some of the most highly trained Nova Centurions in the Corps.

The ship suddenly rocked with the impact of a huge projectile. Debris and steel twisted on the edge of the open bay. Stark kept his feet, but the several Nova Corpsmen marines and Iron men serving as security in the cannon bay went flying to the ground.

As Tony looked across the huge open ship door and out in to space, he saw the battle for Pericles' Crossing raged across the landscape of stars.

The interior security scurried to contain damage the ship had just received when Stark heard the shouting. Smoke was filling the bay. The Nova Corpsmen pointed at the steaming wreckage.

What Tony saw explained the massive jolt _The Rogers_ had just received. At the edge of the bay, a huge Badoon boarding ship had lodged itself into the side of the gate. The invader had missed a clean entrance and set itself halfway into the hull in a mess of gnarled metal and steel. Metal hooks from the Badoon ship worked hard to get a clean grip on the ship's surface.

Stark took a quick look at the shuttle and turned to his Iron Men and Nova Corps guards.

"Blow that thing away! NOW!" Stark shouted.

Before they could act, the Badoon ship's gate dropped. Almost instantly, a throng of elite Badoon Menacers in shimmering reflexive armor poured from the steel wound as the lizards screamed Badoon curses. A wall of thick fire from their assault rifles sprayed the defenders of the bay.

_Damn it,_ Stark Thought. _I have to launch immediately._

Repulsor beams flashed from the Iron men as the fire fight aboard _The Rogers_ was underway. Nova Corpsmen took cover behind cargo bins in the bay and shouted back to each other.

Senior Nova Centurion Cammille Benally raced up along side Denarion Blackwell. Cammi usually did not wear a Nova helm on the ship and carried only a lone machine pistol with her. Her dark hair swayed with the breeze of the open bay. "Get Drax down here now! Target is not the bridge, target is the cannon bay!" Cammi shouted in her comm link as she aimed her ion blaster at the Badoon and capped shots at troopers. "D'ast, _Menacers_, at least twenty" She reported.

The bay erupted with the shaking of metal and steel. From the dark of the Badoon ship, a green figure emerged. 'There's _something_ else, Nick" Cammi added into her link.

"Keep on it Centurion!" Fury responded.

."Tony Stark, Nova Corps, I have come to cleanse this Universe of your weakness!" The Green Warrior said as he dropped down from the ship. The deck rumbled with the weight of the huge God's sheer size, it was a massive green monolith of armor and churning Dark figure stood in the light of the bay as the metal panels under its feet buckled with the sheer size of the thing

It was the Badoon God, _That Which Cleanses The Weak_. The monster raised his massive emerald mace and swung the mighty weapon at one of the Iron Men. The mace missed it's mark, but a huge plume of green liquid shot out and sprayed the Iron Corpsman's body. _It was ungodly_, thought Cammi.

Right away, it was clear it was some sort of deadly corrosive acid. The Iron man was an older model, made of reinforced adamantium, but it sizzled and dissolved right in front of everyone. No one could help the soldier as he buckled over, smoking and gasping for breath. When the liquid hit the corpsmen's skin inside he screamed in agony. It was a chilling way to die. The liquid dripped below and burned even a hole in the floor. Far underneath, alarms sounded on other floors as the invasive spill burned deck after deck.

"I got the Lizard God! Iron Men on the Menacer's! Where the heck is Drax!" Cammi shouted as she put her people in motion.

Cammi unloaded her pistol into the figure. More Elite Badoon warriors flanked the Green God and set up a wedge formation. Cammi tossed a flak grenade toward the crew with adept precision. She leapt behind the cargo bins as the frag blew.

The Iron men flew around the huge bay and pounded the Badoon with blasts.

An Iron man delivered a fantastic hay-maker punch to one of the Badoon. The shiny Menacer's went flying for the open bay. He flew out into deep space with nothing to stop his momentum.

The others in the formation were hardly damaged.

"Cammi give me a few more seconds." Tony Stark barked.

_That Which Cleanses The Weak_ turned his attention to Stark and the shoot tube at the far end of the bay.

With the ring of the elevator, Drax stepped off the lift with a slew of Nova Corpsmen at his side.

"Did somebody order a mini gun?" He said as he pulled the massive chain gun with him. A huge trail of belted ammunition bounced behind him.

"'bout time you showed up Drax" Cammi snapped. Drax smiled as he lugged in the big heavy gun he was carrying. He set the gun in position and pointed the thing straight up , to the metal superstructure above the bay. The motor on the mini gun whirred with power as Drax unloaded a massive volley of rounds thirty feet above the Badoon God's head. Sparks and hot metal shards flew everywhere. The massive stream of bullets tore apart the pylons and steel girders' hanging directly above the green monster.

With the loud sound of tearing steel and framework, a massive shower of tons of metal fell from the ceiling and landed on top of the Badoon terror and his henchmen. The debris piled up on the floor in a huge contorted mess.

Drax looked at the pile with satisfaction. He winked at Cammi.

"We done here?" Drax asked Cammi and Stark as he set his chain gun down. Several of the Iron men were putting the finishing touches on some of the other Badoon.

"You know it aint down, tough guy." Cammi said with a grin as she scanned the pile of debris.

"Drax" It was Nick Fury on the comm link from the bridge of _The Rogers_, ,"Don't kid yourself, keep your guard up" Fury ordered. "Stark, get that team in the space."

_That Which Cleanses The Weak_ pushed the tons of rubble from him. Inside, it oozed more liquid that burned away the steel and rebar around it. Bits of debris went everywhere. Acid spilled on more of the ships panels, burning metal and sounding alarms. Some of the loose debris knocked Tony Stark down to the ground as he kept working on the terminal. Drax took a steel rod in the stomach and went flying across the bay.

The green thing was a plague upon this Universe. It had cleansed the weak when time was young and the Badoon were but whelps in the dark garden of the dread lizard. _He Above All _had chosen _it _as the cleanser of _all that did not belong_ in Mrthuros, the green paradise of the great lizard. Billions had been cleansed by his hand since. Its job was never done. This work was nothing.

The comm link opened and the noise of space combat was in Tony's ear.

"What's going on in there Tony?, we're missing our window here." Rich Rider said as he waited in space for the shot from the cannon. He soared with a V wing and cut a deep gravometric swarth into the side of the _Red Dragon_. The tail of the beast curled and twisted as ships swarmed from under its belly to the Nova Fleet.

"Give me a second, Rich, just one second more." Tony got up to his feet and resumed his sequence. The massive cannon with the Avengers on board shifted up and aimed itself toward the snaking ship, _The Red Dragon_.

Cammi and the other centurions unloaded their weapons on the Badoon God as it stood with its dripping mace outstretched. Its cold eyes and mouthless face stared like a cold killer at the defending corpsmen. Shells and the sizzle of hot rounds sounded throughout the bay. The God kept walking as he stormed toward them, battering centurions like fleas as they tried to restrain him. One Nova flyer zoomed right at the creature at the speed of sound. Without flinching, The dark God grabbed the Centurion by the face and crushed his head. The cleanser oozed its green fluid on to the poor centurion's face as it threw the dead soldier to the ground.

"Just one more second" As Stark finished the last of his sequences. _The Red Dragon_ was visible across space in full view of the bay. All around, a light show of ship to ship space combat raged.

"God Damn Stark!" Cammi said as the God reached Cammi's position as she unloaded round after round into the green armor. The thing raised its huge divine mace, standing right before Cammi as her ineffective rounds bounced off of it. The great maul dripped with caustic divine acid as _That Which Cleanses The Weak _brought the thing back to finish off the centurion.

"Hey asshole!" Drax said as he grabbed the God's shoulder and unloaded the mini gun right into the thing's chest. Hot rounds went directly into the thing's thorax and it hunched over with pain. Drax grabbed the back of the mace at the handle, and tried to bring the monster down into the ground. The God faltered for a second then grabbed Drax by the throat.

"Drax the Destroyer, I will savor cleansing you." It said as it pummeled Drax into the steel decking and held him in place. The mighty knee of the God pushed on Drax's throat. "Consider your death an honor, you brought a God to his knees, weak fool."

Cammi acted fast. "Cleanse this frag, jerk!" She said as reached around and jammed the explosive into the God's eye socket. She went flying to the floor and brought her pistol up to fire more rounds into the things face. The thing reached for its eye.

"DONE!, THATS IT" Stark said as he finished the sequence.

Just as the grenade was blowing up inside the _That Which Cleanses The Weak' _glowing head , the shoot tube cannon fired a deafening shot that sent everyone else to their knees. The Badoon God's head was a noxious cloud of confused goo as it stumbled to recover from the concussion of the grenade.

Up on the bridge, Nick Fury looked at Moondragon. The shoot tube was away., Fury could see the _Red Dragon_ already reeling in pain.

"Did I ever tell you broadsides and battleships wasn't my game?" He said with a smile.


	7. Chapter 7

The inertial dampeners did their job.

Quill sat down and gathered his thoughts. _That damn prick Walker,_ he thought.

It was a quick countdown..Iron Man was outside the pod in the loading bay. Tony operated the mechanism, flanked by his protective squad of Iron Men.

Whatever the racket and loud noise was outside, the package was away. _They had the easy job_, James Quill pondered. The Avengers in the tube all hoped nothing was wrong with the launch, the shoot tube could turn your bones to jelly if you weren't anybody but maybe Count Nefaria. _It was a rough ride._

In a sudden moment, the boarding shell was hyper accelerated at hundreds of times the speed of light in the fraction of a nano second. Obviously, human bodies were not meant to move that fast, so the dampeners needed to create a homeostatic embryo of protection for the passengers inside to remain intact.

From _The Rogers_, the experimental mass driver sent the projectile through space in a blinding flash barreling toward the Badoon death ship, _The Red Dragoon_. With its intense speed, the pod was also an extremely powerful weapon, effecting the battlefield outside and tearing a path of destruction. Several Badoon ships and troop formations were _jellyfied_ as the high velocity object blinked past them.

The pod hit the star board weak spot of The Red Dragon in an area just near the "ear hole" of the living ship. At the target, metal twisted and inverted as the entry wound left a gnarled hole of twisted framing and organic superstructure unique to the Dragon's living composition. Liquid chemicals and something organic, akin to blood, oozed into the icy expanse of space. The hole created by the pod in the living ship was like a bloody _wound._

The beast recoiled with shaking agony, Genral Margoyle and his crew were rocked off their feet on the bridge of the ship. In space, the wings of Nova Corpsman cheered in battle formations to see the space monster take such a catastrophic hit.

"It's a direct hit!"" Rider said to all his units as he evaluated the shot. "Hit the carriers hard now!" Rider ordered to the ships and Centurions in formation.

"Wooo Hoo!" Johnny Storm shouted as he ripped through Badoon ships.

But the _Avenging_ shell did not stop there. The shoot tube projectile continued through _The Dragon_, wrecked the interior of the ship and dug a path that vaporized Badoon crewman and machinery in the process.

The pod would have shucked clean out of the other side of the ship and probably would have flown half way to the Milky Way Galaxy if the inertial dampeners had not kicked back in. The machine whizzed with vibration as the pod came to an abrupt halt. The tube wedged itself softly into the metal lattice work of the Badoon super destroyer like it was in a baby's cradle.

James Quill noted the burning smell of ozone and some odd chemical odor as he sat nervously in the tube. It was a horrid scent, made worse by the fact his knees were nearly shoved in his face. For a split second, his body felt like it was vibrating at a ridiculously high rate. His teeth felt strange and his mouth had a metal taste. But now it was over and everything appeared to have gone well._ Amadeus Cho knows what he's doing, _Jason Quill thought_._

John Walker sat up and unstrapped himself. He lowered the scarred black and red helmet on his head that had a red, white and blue American flag painted on the forehead. He put a huge Bowie style combat knife in a pouch on his chest strap. He looked at the Avengers before him. _Walker was a D'ast Killer,_ Quill thought.

"That's our huckleberry folks, everybody out!" He said as he brought his twin machine guns to the ready.

Red Bolt was nearest the door and kicked it out. The shoot tube was a one way ticket. It wasn't good for anything but a coffin right now. It was time to get out. John Walker did not wait for an invitation. He was out the door screaming "_Assemble"_ before anyone knew it. His twin Titanium machine pistols spewed out hot shells as they blasted the hallways with low velocity/ high impact rounds designed especially for use on a star ship.

Even though the dampeners also cooled the exterior of the shoot pod and negated most friction, the pod was still smoking against the molten innards of the ship. Half of the pod was melting into liquid.

Quill got up from the bench and jumped from the pod with his Spartois Ion rifle. As he got up Nefaria looked at him and glared

"Star-Lord?, give me a break, whatever you do Quill, just stay the hell away from me." The count said.

_Great_, Thought Quill. Even _Nefaria probably knew the damn plan._

"This is a damn raw deal, Walker" Quill said as he hopped out and blasted his rifle down the hall.

A crew of Badoon security was instantly in view. One of them took a blast from Quill's rifle right in the face. The advancing Badoon were all armed to the teeth in full armor and heavy weapons. They were carrying a mix of blasters and glowing edged weapons. Nefaria moved down the hall like a phantom blur. He was out of sight before Quill could even think.

As James rounded the corner with Noh-Varr, They could see the Count ripped off further down the long internal structure of the pathways buckled as Nefaria streamed to a mess of Badoon and Snark marines. When Nefaria hit the unwitting reptiles, there was a blinding sea of gore and bone. Parts of Badoon and Snark went flying everywhere as Nefaria moved like a whirlwind.

"D'ast" said Red Bolt, "We are two decks down from where we should be." He added as he looked into a small computer monitor on his wrist.

"Send in the all clear to Stark and Fury, tell them we are right on schedule." Walker said as he blasted another group of rushing Badoon security droids. "Luna, get up the _wall of tranquility_ , let's keep these lizards off guard." .

Nefaria was occupied with several more groups of Badoon. There were Badoon innards and eyeballs spraying against the bulkheads of the ship. He was a killing machine.

"Nefaria, you know the plan, minimal casualties to the crew. Let's not blow this. I know it's fun, but we got to move." Walker told him.

Quill kept shooting his rifle at the BAdoon to cover the movement of the group. Noh-Varr added shots with his Nega Bands.

_Nefaria did know the more than me, dammit,_ Quill thought when he heard Walker's last transmission. _He's a D'ast ex supervillian and they trust him!_

Red Bolt ripped off a blast of dark crimson energy from his temple. Several Snarks buckled in pain as the kinetic blast whipped them backwards.

Nefaria turned toward him with a frustrated look. He broke away from the group as the Avengers headed up a metal catwalk to the next level.

"Rage , you have the package , right?" Walker asked.

"You know it John, got it right here. Safe and sound." He said as he followed Walker up the metal ladder. Elvin sunk his combat knife deep into a Snark as he jumped up to the next level. The rest of the team followed as Badoon assaulted from both sides.

General Margoyle stood at his command terminal on the bridge of the ship without saying a word. He wiped a small stream of blood from his nose as he recovered from the blow to the ship.

The God's voices from _The Soul Stealer_ came over the ship to ship communication link: "General Margoyle! report! What was that deviltry? Are you able to respond?" The voice was his Goddess, _The Moon's Chilling Glow_.

Margoyle did _not _respond.

His trusted staff stood behind him awaiting his next word.

"They have penetrated the ship, sir, they are moving on deck thirty eight. It appears to be the Avengers." Margoyle's First Officer said.

He looked back at his First Officer...a skinny but officious Badoon who looked like a loyal dog. As the images of the hull breach reached Margoyle he looked sullenly at his First Officer and nodded.


	8. Chapter 8

_Back on Pericles' Crossing, the Squad of Denarion James Luck was still pinned down in a small bunker located in the swamps of the "Sweet Spot" of the planet by a large Badoon infantry force._

Denarion Luck peeked out at the stinking bog through a crack in the giant doors. The dark trees and hanging vines outside the bunker hid most of the enemy he was trying to find. The Badoon outside had stopped firing back at the complex a few hours ago and there wasn't much sign of them. Small animals ran back and forth and some sort of insects chirped in the dusky red sun. Luck swore he could hear Badoon gibbering and the rumble of Chitauri tanks in the distance. _No way they would just leave_, Luck thought.

" I wonder if I could make a break for it Murf?" Luck said. "I'd be back before anyone even knew it"

"No way, Crystar would roast you alive with that pig sticker of his , Luck, probably not a good idea." Murfle told me. Murfle was cleaning his sniper rifle.

"I know she's out there.. not too far. Couldn't be more than eighty meters. I could go grab her." Luck went on.

Murfle looked down. He had seen Corpsmen Aurora shot nearly in half by the Badoon sniper round. She was dead. _Nova Corps didn't leave anybody behind, but it was no use killing ourselves just to collect a dead body. Not yet at least, _Murfle thought to himself_._

"We'll grab her Luck, I know Crystar won't leave her body behind." Murfle said in a low tone.

Luck had this weird feeling like he needed to go for her now. Was her life sign flickering on his helmet's HUD? He knew Murfle thought he was crazy, but Luck just had a feeling_. I need to go get her NOW_, Luck thought.

Inside the moldy room, Crystar and Redhawk were trying to find out how to work the robot their squad leader had called a _Starrior_. Denarion Razo was trying to keep Pirvet in one piece. Pirvet had been hit in the chest by a Badoon round and was in rouch shape. The cosmic energy that made up Pirvet's body was leaking into the inside of the bunker the Nova Corpsmen were "shacked up" in. Luck could hear Razo talking sweet things to the dying corpsmen. It was an act of kindness to ease him as he died. He could not say much back as he struggled to speak.

Crystar and Redhawk were trying to figure out just how to start the huge metal robot that they found stored at the back of the facility. They were hoping the thing could clear out the Badoon waiting to kill them in the swamp outside. The Nova Corpsmen were trapped, and they needed a miracle to survive.

"These _Starriors_ were some of the old fault trash we came into on Degos Four. They re not from this Universe, just like Vance Astrovik and just like.." Crystar said as he changed the subject. "It was a few years ago, but they hated humans mostly. A mess of 'em tried to kill us." He added. "We mostly left them to rot back there, the ones that still worked anyways. I have no clue how to start 'em up. But they are pretty good at tearing things up."

Denarion Redhawk pulled on a metal panel with no success. "D'ast this thing. There's just no Flarking power and this cockpit looks like it's just for show. It's a big tease man."

Luck stood at the door, listening to the creatures buzz outside. _I have to get her_, he kept thinking.


	9. Chapter 9

The massive Badoon Sergeant sat down on the tree stump as he pointed to a few troop positions setting in the Badoon patrol base in the swamps of PC. Groups of Badoon and Snark conscripts shuffled around through the mud of PC. The bugs were swarming around his head as he swatted them with a small oily rag. The Badoon had just skirmished a pocket of Nova Corpsman and took a couple casualties. The veteran sergeant sat trying to figure out the next move.

In front of the burly Badoon Sergeant, were two smaller Badoon soldiers with rifles slung over their shoulders. A huge Chitauri tank whirled in the background and as Badoon soldiers dug in fighting positions around the vehicle.

"Right then, tell me again, who seen how many them Novas, and where were they? " Sergeant Garok said as he chewed on a dark root.

"I don't know, them conscripts was the ones spotted them. Dey had 'em runnin in at bunker. 'Der not shootin right now, buts they was. They got 'em pinned in 'der still I think" Corperal Reeleep said.

"Well who seen 'em anyway?"Garok asked.

"Da'gg it was" Reeleep said.

"Da'gg?..he's one of them rotten Snarks he is, wish I knew that 'fo we humped it all this way. I never trust no stinking snarkses. D'ast. " Garok replied.

Sergeant Garok sat down as he held his dirty plasma rifle as a kind of crutch. He spit on the floor while he sat down on a log. He worked the dark root in and out of his teeth as he scratched his head.

"I could use something to eat, have Wully go looking for more of them nice wormy crawlers. They taste even better than them Novas." he said.

"Yep, those Novas are stringy, especially the Kree ones." Reeleep replied.

Garok smelled the air as he was lost in thought. He looked into his wrist device and reviewed some data of the area."Theys askin more questions bought that fight, get that Snark Da'ag over her now" Garok demanded.

Reeleep jumped up and went over to one of the smaller Badoon riflemen. A couple Badoon broke off and went to look for another Badoon in the perimeter around the camp.

After about five minutes, a small Snark conscript with shoddy gear and a simple laser rifle reported himself in front of Sergeant Garok.

"Well give me your report then, why are my men ar zabbin' up half the countryside." Garok asked as he put grinded the buttstock of his rifle into the mud.

"It was Novas, Sergeant, I swear, a nice crew of them, walking through the bog. I seen em with my own eyes." The Snark replied.

"C'logg even shot one of 'em" He added. "It was a a girl Nova, ripped her in two it did."

"He shot one of them, did he? Well where is it? My men are hungry and those Novas eat nice." Garok said.

"Snarks dont eat Novas ,sirs kindly"

Garok brought up his rifle and swiped the barrel across the side of Da'agg's temple. Da'agg winced in pain as he shuffled back." Didnt ask what Snarks eat. Badoons need some meat and I'm askin a question, now wheres the D'ast body?" Karok said as he stood over the Snark.

"I...I ..its over that mound in the perimeter." Da'agg responded.

"Good then, bring me that Nova husk now Snark, or we be puttin Snark Conscripts on the menu 'round here. Those Chitauri tankers eat anything if theys hungry enough, and theys hungry I say." Reeleep said.

Da'agg ran off to get his team. He was a big Snark, but Garok was an abnormally big Badoon.

"Sergeant, I told you there is more of them in that bunker over there? Shouldn't we dig 'em out?" Reeleep asked.

"Nah..lunch time is more pressin, the men's hungry and going to riot. Get that Nova dead one over here and give it to Corporal Spleen. He'll cook it up nice with some of them swamp crawlers." Garok said as he went to pick at his plasma rifle.

Three hundred meters away, in a cold mud hole surrounded by pockets of Badoon and Snark troops, the crumpled up and stained body of Nova Corpsmen Aurora lay motionless. The water from the nearby puddles of mud seemed to flow toward her in the soft light. As the wind blew around her and the bugs moved in to chew on her, her hand twitched with life. A moment later, she raised her hand up to a rock and lifted up her head. _Damn it_, she thought. _Where the hell was everybody_?


	10. Chapter 10

Rider and his formation of Nova centurions swiped across the brow of _The Red Dragon_. Nautically, the ship had become dead in space. The craft floated almost derelict with battle raging all around the ship. Rider knew another intense fight was going on inside of the living vessel that would chart the destiny of the larger mission. The whole battle plan _of Operation:Red Dragon _now relied on John Walker and his Avengers . T

he Nova Corps flyers, their ranks thinned by the toll of the battle, now had to protect the disabled enemy ship so the Avengers could accomplish their goal and put an end to this critical battle . The whole Badoon invasion of the Andromeda needed to be stopped here.

As Rider inspected the _Dragon_, the "bleeding" gash festered in space at the spot where the "shoot tube" had ripped a massive entry wound through the ship. Rider knew it was time for the men under his command to shift fire away from the mega ship to the enemy destroyers and carriers that were tearing the Nova Fleet apart. Even with the massive living ship disabled, the odds were still heavily in the Lizard's favor. Their numbers were still overwhelming.

Just then, through the communication relay on his encrypted Nova Corps helmet, Rich got a message from Walker and the Avengers. _They survived the launch and had been inserted as planned. Good news._ Amadeuas Cho's "Shoot Tube" was one of the most daring machines ever made._ The Red Dragon's_ guns were silent as the ship fought an invasion from within. Somewhere in that cold ship, John Walker and his crew were wrecking havoc with the Badoon war machine.

Firelord and a few wings of Nova Centurions behind the Badoon line were holding their own, but the tide was clearly still overwhelmingly in the Badoon's favor. Rider needed to divert the Corps to back up Firelord. Nova Corps never left a fallen comrade behind. From the chatter on the comm link, there was a pitched battle on _The Rogers_. But those Badoon carriers needed to be contained at all cost. Fury and Stark would have to handle their own problems for now.

But suddenly, there was another curve ball.

"Dammit Rich, the _Braddock_, looks like it's going to blow." Quasar said.

The Nova hyper carrier ,_The Braddock_, positioned off the rear flank, was taking massive fire from an attack wing of Badoon fighters and Destroyers. Chitauri torpedo vessels were pounding the huge ship with relentless attacks.

Legate Cartelli, the captain of the _Braddock_, came on the radio." Rich, that's the last of our aft hull. We're done for. I've ordered all hands off deck. We've got about five minutes left."

"Joe, just give me a minute we can get you off that thing." Rich said.

"Forget it Rich, Everybody's off. It's just me and a couple others. Desperate times my friend. Good luck on Earth Rich, think _of The Braddock_ when you guys break the siege."

Rich scanned the readouts of _The Braddock's_ hull integrity and remaining life support. He did not like what he read.

"Damn it, Joe" Johnny said as he viewed the careening carrier in the distance.

Rider watched the Badoon fighters pummel _The Braddock_ as he raced to the scene. He tore through several gun ships and aimed in a massive photon blast at the large destroyer that harassed the Nova carrier. Another thick Gravometric beam ripped through the ship. Behind him, Quasar's energy beams ripped through the waves of smaller Badoon skirmish pods. If only they had a couple more seconds, he could have got to Joe.

"Jesus Rich, there's so many of them." Wendall said as he danced between explosions.

But it was not enough. _The Braddock_ was clearly on fire from within and done for. Rich and Quasar were helpless to save the craft. Cabins and ducts burst into brief flame and lost pressure on the ship as the carrier veered awkwardly in space. It was clearly out of control.

Rich needed to save his trusted field Hyper carrier captain from sacrificing himself aboard the ship, but that would be nearly impossible. Someone needed to guid the carrier away from the fleet, as the dying explosion of The Braddock's fusion core would be a huge problem for the surrounding Nova fleet. The ship would kill hundreds more Centurions if it blew in its current place. It was, unfortunately, an obvious call, though not an easy one.

"Get clear! All units get clear of the _Braddock_!" Rich Rider called out as he barreled through space.

But Legate Cartelli had something left in him. _The Braddock_ suddenly adjusted course. The captain managed to steer the giant space ship at a right angle. The ship veered toward the black of outer orbit, away from the battle. There was nothing around the massive carrier as it imploded in the expanse past the planet.

As _The Braddock_ blew, far away from battle in the nothingness, space was deadly silent in the cold vacuum.

As death approached, Legate Cartelli held no regrets. He had been a minor super hero back on earth named the _Blue Shield_. He had mainly worked at _Project: Pegasus_. Cartelli had never been a great success as a costumed superhero, but he had been a good Nova Corpsmen. he was proud to have worn the Nova uniform and served. _When the earth needed me, I showed up._ Cartelli smiled and looked out at the cosmos as the cold of outer space crept in._ How beautiful are the stars?_ Cartelli thought as the darkness closed in.

Back in the battle, Rich Rider and the Nova corps continued to fight the massive Badoon fleet. "She's gone folks" Quasar said to all units.

"Damn Wendell, pour on those carriers. We need to mount a counter attack. All available flyers on me, we need to break through to Firelord, now. It's just _The Black Bolt_ and _The Rogers_ now." Rider barked as he obliterated a Badoon fighter.

_The Titan's Fury_ eased up on a gun run on a group of Badoon Destroyers in front of the paralyzed juggernaut _The Red Dragon_. One of the Badoon destroyers was hit critically and dropped sideways in space. It sailed in flames through the planet's outer atmosphere.

"Need a hand Rich?" Vance said, as the _Titan's Fury _pulled alongside the three wings of Corpsmen.

" I don't suppose you have Galactus hidden in that ship, Vance?" Quasar asked.

"Nope Wendell, I can do better- I got a damn red headed Titan with a lust for killing lizard men. That and some 31st century badassery." Vance replied.

Eros smiled as he worked the attack pattern Rider was feeding him into the ship's processers.

The three wings of available flyers took a staggered formations as the _Titan's Fury_ pulled up underneath the "V" shaped wings of Nova Corps flyers. In front of the attack crew was a thick wall of chaotic battle. Forward Nova ships and Firelord's stranded attack wings were in sight amidst the fray. They were not doing too well.

"Pyreus, you still in one piece?" Rich asked in his radio.

The comm link came on with the familiar voice. "Aye, _New Warrior_, alive and fighting." , Firelord replied.

Rich smiled at the mention of the _New Warriors_. "Patch me through the data on your remaining units and fields of fire. I'm getting lag from the real time uplink." Rider said.

The critical battle information entered Rich's HUD. He paused for a moment and processed the data. It never surprised him how quickly he could work out these equations now. It was like World mind and his mind had become one unit somewhere along the line. "Got it. D'ast that's worse than I thought, standby" Rider said as he sailed through space.

Rich worked out thousands of variables in his helmet's computer. Target angles and algorithms popped up on in his vision in his helmet's HUD. "Patching you in a new pattern, adjust fields of fire on mark forty two with this tangent and I'll meet you in the middle. All units on me now "A wing", Firelord is "B wing". Send confirmations via helmet links. Let's get this done."

"I got the pattern, Rich, compensating my wings. Damn this will be impressive if you can pull it off. I've never seen anything like it." Firelord said.

"Learned in the _New Warriors_ Pyr, course, if the Avengers can pull off their mission, none of it will all matter much." Rich said as the wings set the rescue operation in motion."It's all on them right now."


	11. Chapter 11

"Dammit sweetie, give us an _angle_ here. This stinking mess is going to tear apart my ship." Nick Fury said as he held Moondragon in his arms. Her nose was covered in blood and the woman was barely conscious.

Moondragon buckled over the railing on the bridge as she doubled with pain and pushed away from Fury. She gripped her temple as she squinted in agony. Heather's ears and face dripped with blood_. It was such violence and pain_, she screamed in her head.

_Something... Anything to help_..._I need to come through.._._they are all counting on me.. How do we stop it? What is its weakness?_

Down below, The green arbiter _That Which Cleanses the Weak_ drilled one of the Iron Corpsmen with a solid blow on the Corpsman's back with it's huge mace. The Corpsman ran off , screaming in pain, flopping his arms and sizzling with the burn of divine acid.

Cammi unloaded her last magazine into the beast as Drax slashed at the thing with his blades.

"Hey Drax, can I get some help here?" Cammi said as she dropped her pistol to the ground. "I'm cold on ammo here"

Drax reached at his leg and tossed her his boot knife. The pair exchanged smiles. _Blades it is_, Cammi thought.

Tony Stark flew above and unloaded a steady repulsor stream into the green monstrosity.

He processed a stream of data in his helmet about the effectiveness of his fire. He did not like what he had to read.

"There is a strong possibility this thing is invincible, Nick" Tony said as he tried his cutting beam weapon."We may need something like a _cosmic cube_ to stop it."

Heather focused on her task with concentration. The pain separated into fear. _Clouds? Moons, passing birds..what was this? Moondragon soared through the sky in a Badoon God's head. This is not possible, _she thought.

Suddenly, Moondragon broke through to _something_. A wall shattered in her mind and in the mind of a Badoon God. _Violence, but fear...fear of something unknown. I've broken through._

_I see it. There it is. It cannot... It cannot..do this. It is scared. Fear._

The massive God raised its mace high in the air as it bore down on Cammi. Emerald liquid dripped down on the floor of the hangar and burned through the metal plating. Drax slashed at the gargantuan's leg and did no damage. His knife broke on the armored knee of the thing.

_It cannot_...Heather breathed into her comm link. "Tony Stark, do you read?" Moondragon asked, lost in thought.

Moondragon wailed, delirious into the ship's communication link. "Tony..do you read?" She cried. She needed to get her mind together.

"It cannot..."She struggled to get the words out. Her brain was mush.

Tony Stark roared around in the bay and unloaded a mix of micro missiles into the thing. Nothing stopped it."Moondragon?" Tony asked. "Can you repeat?"

"It cannot FLY , Tony! THE THING CANNOT FLY." Heather shouted in the comm link as she collapsed on the floor in a puddle of blood.

Tony gunned his suit's afterburners headstrong into the beast.

"Received, Heather" Tony said as his armor rammed into the God full speed. Cammi and Drax fell to the ground as the ship bounced. Iron Man wrapped his hands in a bear hug around the thing and the thrusters on Tony's armor exploded with power.

The green flaming ball went hurtling out the bay into the depth of space, around both of the two, was the havoc of the space battle outside. Star ships blasted each other and suited astronauts fought in the mayhem of the fray in deadly hand to hand combat. It was war. Tony looked right into the beast's face as he carried the monster out to the black of directionless space at blinding speed. _Damn this thing_, Tony thought.

As he looked into the God's eyes, it was clearly angry.

The Badoon deity sunk its fingers into Tony's armor. The sizzle of the acid it was excreting boiled into the vibranium exoskeleton. Tony did not flinch.

"You will die now _Tony Stark. Y_ou may have saved your friends, but I will _cleanse_ you. I will live, you will burn." the emerald horror said with laughter in its voice.

Stark did a quick assessment of the damage to his suit. He noted the armor was hopelessly disintegrating. The power of the divine acid was undeniable. Blinking alerts on his suits HUD alerted him of catastrophic failure. In a few seconds he would burn up. Tony gave one last huge push with his after burners. The battle was a small speck now, only darkness lay in front of the pair.

He looked at the laughing God and spoke. "This was my _ultra Badoon Mark forty six_. It's the best armor I _ever_ built, you son of a bitch." Tony said as he struggled to speak. "Right now the course I've plotted out in space makes it so you won't _ever_ hit a planet or celestial body. Unless someone saves you, this course will make you drift in space _forever_. So screw you , Lizard." Tony said as the seconds ticked away.

The Green Devil looked deep into Tony's eyes.

"I am a _God_ ,Stark, I have _Forever_. Your death is pointless and honor less. You are weak." The Green beast said as it laughed.

"Maybe so big guy, but you know the best part about this suit is?" Tony asked _He who Cleanses the Weak _as they careened off to the void of space. "Its unmanned."

Tony flipped up his visor and no occupant was in this Iron Man suit. It was empty."Rot in space, motherfucker!" The digital voice said as it crackled away into static. The God's cleansing acid burned away the armor and the last bit of the suit faded to dust. The final thing that the green god saw was the outstretched gauntlet of Iron Man as it extended its middle finger at the hurtling deity.

The Badoon was left holding nothing and flopping his arms and legs in panic as he sailed in to oblivion.

"NOOO!" The thing screamed in anger as it faded away, into the black.

Back at the Hangar bay of _The Rogers_, one of the surviving Iron Corpsman in an older Iron Man armor took off his helmet. It was Tony Stark. He looked at Cammi and smiled. "Its gone out for a ride." Tony said as he gave her a wink.


	12. Chapter 12

The water soaked into Corpsman Aurora's skin like a sponge. The mud and fluid felt cool on her cold skin. _Life, _she thought.

Aurora wondered, _Was I dead?_ The water rippled and she felt the smooth moss of life breathing on the top of the surface. The stagnate mix of microorganisms. The small fish jumping under the weeds. Everything whispered into her head and told her of their sweet stories. The bog. The worms. Those giants who step through the ponds. Intruders bringing fire. _Warriors of old._

Aurora could always speak to the water and everything that lived in it. It was her gift. She felt the songs swirling in the depths and puddles. Sad songs and happy songs. _Like the fountains and pools of Attilan_. These tales healed her and made her whole. They gave her power like the swift current and crushing tide. Her father, Triton of the Inhumans, heard these songs as well. She had learned much from him.

Then it all came to her like a ripple in a puddle. The vibrations of the bog. The talking of the Lizard men. _Intruders._ The whispering of the Novas_. The Masters have returned_. The coming of the deep one. _The Protector_. She called to the leviathan of the deep to save her. She thought, _would he hear her call for help? The ground vibrated._

In the Badoon Patrol Base , something stirred.

"Whats that? You hear somthin?" Garok asked Reeleep

"Didnt hear nothing, Sarge." Reeleep said as he ate a soup of small worm crawlers and smacked his lips.

_Aurora looked around. Where was I? Where did everyone go? _

The two Snarks were on her like a sudden storm. They turned her over in the muck as the water soaked her body. Aurora's Nova Uniform and suit was ripped open at the shoulder, exposing her raw flesh. He helmet had a huge chunk missing from it.

The larger Snark had a sharp serrated knife raised high in the air. _These Snarks looked hungry_, Aurora thought.

Aurora grunted as the Snarks grabbed at her and began to drag her through the weeds. She kicked out with her leg and hit one of them on the wrist.

"She's alive D'agg! I can't believes it! " The Snark said as he recoiled in shock.

Aurora raised her wet blaster up from her chest and squeezed a plasma round into one of the Snarks hanging over her. The blue flame sizzled as it set one of the Snarks a blaze.

The small group of Snarks went diving for cover.

"D'ast it! Garok is going to have my head!" The Snark complained as it took cover behind a rock.

"I seen her lopped clean in two D'Agg! it aint yer fault!" The other Snark said as it shot a few rounds from its laser rifle.

Aurora dropped to the ground and aimed in at the cowering Snarks. She squeezed off more rounds as she hit the ground looking for cover.

The huge Badoon towered over Aurora as it aimed in its rifle on the corpsmen.

"Dammit stupid Novas think they can sneak through my wire, we'll eat your parts yet Nova, char broiled now!" Garok said as he aimed in at the stunned Auroa.

The ground vibrated.

Behind Garok he did not notice the strong hand wrapping around his throat as the combat knife entered deep into his lower back and slid into the Badoon equivalent of a spinal cord and spleen. His eyes went into the back of his head as his four hundred pound scaly Badoon body slumped over, dead. The lizard Sergeant made a bubbling noise as his knees buckled and his massive weight slid into the wet bog.

As Garok dropped like slug into the bog, Denarion James Luck stood up behind the large lizard and wiped the Badoon blood from his combat knife.

"Novas don't flarking leave each other behind." He said as he smiled and put his knife in his leg sheath and brought his rifle up to the ready position. He offered his hand to the still confused Corpsman Aurora.

The ground was bouncing up and down with tremors. Aurora wondered, w_hat the hell was that?_


	13. Chapter 13

Centurion Crystar brought down the hilt of his sword and charged at the Badoon heavy weapon position. Like any good leader, Crystar led from the front. Badoon laser weapons flashed around him as he lowered his head and ran for it. Denarion Redhawk was beside him, staggered at his proper interval with a plasma rifle. Redhawk struggled to keep up with the old man. The pair jumped into the pack of lizards with violence. Badoon and Snarks went flying into the dark of swamp as the lasers and bullets flew. Corpsman Razo brought up the rear as she blasted the secondary positions with laser fire.

Crystar hit the enemy fox hole like a maniac. Blades shimmered in the dusky red sunlight. Four Badoon grunts looked dumbstruck as he jumped into the hole with his blade in the air. Blood and scales went flying as Crystar swung his huge sword back and forth. Redhawk just tried to stay out of Crystar's way and shoot the snakes who fell down.

Denarion Murfle was proned out several meters away, on top of the bunker where the Nova corpsmen had found the broken _Starrior. _Murfle's high velocity ion rifle aimed in as he capped several blasts at a few Snarks standing around near a patch of weeds in the rear of the patrol base. Murfle racked back and forth on the bolt action of the sniper rifle and scanned for new victims. Sweat poured off his brow as his helmet's HUD assisted his targeting of shots of opportunity. Murfle took one Snark's head clean off with a well aimed shot.

_The Starrior_ screamed into battle ahead of all the Nova Corpsmen. The ground shook as the machine charged into battle. The thing's sensors glowed with the same color as the _Star Thief._ His lost energy had somehow reanimated the mess of buzz saws and laser beams and the giant had been unleashed on the Badoon company.

The Chitaurai tank wheeled its turret around and aimed in at the Nova Squad. The Corpsman got on line and put a steady volume of fire onto the enemy.

A throng of Badoon and Snarks rushed the group. Denarion James Luck grabbed the nearest Snark and shoved his combat knife into his chest. The Snark spit a death cough of violent crimson goo at Luck as he dropped to the swamp and died. Corpsmen Aurora ran up behind luck as they fell in behind the squad.

The huge mechanized _Starrior_ jumped into the melee of attacking Badoon. Saw blades and razor sharp serrated ends of metal edges flew everywhere as the giant mechanoid swung its arms and reaped carnage. Badoon and Snark split in half and blood sprayed as the death machine cycled through the crowd with blades flashing . _The thing was a killing machine_, Luck thought. Burning laser fire siphoned from its shoulder mounted guns and took out the lizards hanging in the back.

The _Starrior_ jumped on top of the Chitauri tank and grabbed the gaps of the swivel of the turret head. Rivets popped as the robot broke off the top of the cannon_ a_nd threw it at a thick patch of angry Badoon, promptly flattening them into pancakes. The _Starrior_ reached down into the tank and plucked the three awestruck Chitauri crewman out and tossed them into the red sky line of PC.

But the Badoon were like a plague. A hidden mass of lizards came from the woods. Five more tanks rumbled next to them. _This must have been the last brigade of lizards left on PC_, Crystar thought, as the squad ran forward in a diamond formation, sans Murfle who was still in an over watch position atop the bunker.

Corpsmen Aurora blasted at the crowd of Lizards with her lone blaster. Shots from the Badoon throng hit below her and dug into the base of the foxhole with Luck and Redhawk ducking for cover. In the high ground on top of the building, Murfle plinked shots with his sniper rifle at the group.

_Murfle must have put down a hundred Badoon by now_, Luck thought.

Aurora felt the puddle of water at her feet. _What were those vibrations still?_ She had thought they were _the Starrior_, but they were something bigger and deeper. _The Protector_.

The Giant burst through the thick mud like an atomic subway. Aurora and Luck went flying to the ground as the earthquake shook the bog. The huge cavernous mouth engulfed a whole Badoon Snapdragon Tank.

It was a massive swamp worm, a behemoth of the Sweet Spot. It was the size of a damn starship. _The Protector_, Aurora thought.

Behind Aurora , Luck could see the fireballs coming directly at her from the sky.


	14. Chapter 14

Crystar dropped his foot on the ribs of the lizard and pulled his blade from the chest of the Badoon rifleman. As the crystal warrior looked to the sky, he saw the starships plummeting toward the area from the upper atmosphere. He couldn't tell if they were friendly or enemy. There was not much left of the ships as they hit the atmosphere of PC and glowed like comets in the sky.

Crystar remembered not twenty minutes ago when the last vestiges of Corpsmen Ditmal Pirvat, A Nova made entirely of cosmic energy, left the Corpsman's body and seemed to be sucked into the robotic _Starrior._ The reanimated thing had lumbered off to slice up unwitting Badoon. Crystar couldn't tell if it was Ditmal in the machine or just acting on a vicious program for murder. Whatever it was, the robot was doing a damn good job.

Still, there had been something behind the giant mechanical aberration that was hidden. _A door way,_ Crystar thought. The dusty Nova Corps emblem was affixed to this door. The portal looked older than Crystar thought PC had been occupied by the Badoon or Corps. Crystar and Redhawk could not figure out the lock mechanism, and the battle called outside. The crystal warrior wondered, w_here did that door lead?_

Now the _clown show_ had truly begun. Crystar was faced with some sort of _Leviathan_ swamp worm eating up everything. Crashing starships. Nothing was ever easy. At least his Corpsman Aurora appeared to be once again alive. D_amn, Nova command needed to send me updated powers and abilities dossiers for all my troops, _Crystar said to himself. Sometimes the war just moved too quick.

As he paused still to survey they situation, Crystar saw Badoon were running everywhere in a mess of confusion. The lizards were caught between a Starrior killing machine and some sort of giant mutant worm. Whatever was left, his boys could take care of. The Corpsmen had an entire Badoon Brigade on the ropes and in chaos. Crystar was proud of this squad. Denarion James Luck was turning into one hell of a soldier. _Everything in his file was true_. _He was a natural leader_, Crystar thought. Murfle was creeping death with that sniper rifle and the other Corpsman under Crystar's command all had strong roles.

Crystar didn't even think of anything else now but combat. He was a machine these days. There were no more thoughts of _Crystallium_ or his beloved _Ambara _in his head. Those things were from another life, long gone. They were weak thoughts that had no place in this new world, they would only slow him down. Crystar was a Nova Centurion now.. and there was battle ahead. Men needed him.

The crystal warrior collected his thoughts and ran toward the fray with his blade held high.


	15. Chapter 15

Walker kicked in the bulkhead door. Bolts snapped as the heavy metal cover rumbled down the ship's hallway and nailed a small Badoon. Most of the lizard patrols had died down now and resistance was sporadic_. Like it was supposed to be_, Walker thought. Nefaria was nowhere to be seen. _He's probably off the grid, out killing lizards_, Walker said to himself.

The corridors were deserted and the temperature on the ship had noticeably risen.

"Damn, these Lizards like it hot." Rage said

"Nah, this is too hot, I wonder if something's wrong with the ship." Noh-Varr replied.

Walker went to a knee and waved his hand and indicated the target was in sight.

The engineering section of the _Red Dragon_ was a glass auditorium with partitions separating the main fusion reactor. The Badoon had strange plants as decorations on the outcropping. Blinking terminals with LED screens adorned the main floor with endless data and video feeds. The ship's engine could power a planet for years. It was near endless power. If it blew up, the ship could also be a tremendous weapon.

The lights and screens flickered with a lack of power.

Noh-Varr went to work at one of the terminals. Behind him, Rage and Luna scrambled to start unpacking a large metal object in Rage's Nova Corps rucksack.

"This core looks close to meltdown, there's a loose connection somewhere, best as I can tell there is an integrity breach somewhere, but damned If I know for sure." Noh-Varr said.

"Can you fix it?" Walker asked

"No John, I can't. I don't know this Badoon stuff and even if I did, some of this stuff is just insane technology. I don't understand it." He replied.

"How long do we have?" Walker asked.

"I think were good, it's not a huge leak. An hour maybe? It may get _uncomfortable _in here quicker than that." Noh-varr said.

"Get the doggone package down and let's get the hell out of here." Walker shouted as he pulled security out the door.

Quill glanced at Walker._ Who says doggone anymore?_, Quill wondered.

Quill looked down his hallway and saw a few Badoon stragglers as they shuffled down a corridor in the distance. The Badoon showed no interest in engaging the Avengers and ran fast down the ships access tubes. The Badoon didn't even look back as they ran through the hall.

General Margoyle sat at the desk in his personal quarters directly off the bridge. His First Officer sat adjacent to him as the two enjoyed half poured glasses of a brown liquid in small crystal glasses.

A painting of the general hung on the wall. Beside Margoyle in the picture, were four young soldiers in formal Badoon Naval uniforms. The image looked like it was from some sort of graduation ceremony. Badoon did not always have the closest family units, but Margoyle had grown up on a frontier world in the great Badoon wilds. They were a different breed out in the wild. He had known frequent contact with other _civilized_ races, and had even served briefly in the Kree Foreign Legion during the Annihilation War. He looked at the painting to always remind him of the cost of war. _Reminders were always important_ ,he said to himself as he clutched the small silver locket in his hand.

He looked at a chess board on his desk, next to his glass of _Sylurian_ brandy. His First Officer Gaurn sat opposite him and looked at master of the _Red Dragon_. he did not speak as the two men were lost in thought. Outside the window portal, the battle raged in space.

Suddenly the silence broke.

"And so it is done, my loyal Gaurn." The General said as he grabbed the pawn on the chess board and examined it. It was shaped like a small Nova _Denarion_.

"Most of my kind do not care for the games of humans." The General said to his officer. As he stared hard at the chess board. The pieces were shaped like Nova centurions versus Badoon.

"Yet these are not games. You are doing the right thing my lord. We are all with you. Badoon will take their empire back and those who have wronged us will pay dearly. This is only the beginning" Gaurn said.

"Thank you, Guarn. You are a good friend." The general replied as he looked out to space. He rubbed the cosmic control rod on his upper chest with the silver locket. "I would give it all up if I could only have them back. I never wanted to be a self-righteous traitor."

"You are no traitor my lord, it is those who call themselves our Gods who have betrayed Badoon. They have wrought this when they culled _Moorg_ and _Loitera_." Gaurn said as he stood up. "You are a man who has built his name by actions and deeds , not by birth. It is you who are our leader, not false Gods of ancient fools. We would fight by your side no matter who our prey."

"Yes, Guarn, thank you, that is very kind. Still, it is difficult to stand on the edge of the abyss...the certain point of no return. This is it. There is no backwards. Our die is now cast." The General said as he put the pawn down and stared at the King and Queen. He still held the locket and put it into a pouch on his armor.

"Not just ours, General, _The Red Dragon_ as well. We will always have her." Guaron said. The General smiled and pat his chair. "Maybe so Gauron, but I would rather have you men by my side than any d'ast ship."

The First officer raised his glass.

"The package is almost in place. Tell incoming to prep for us and to prepare a crew. This core is unstable." Noh-Varr said as he spoke with Luna.

"Cho's torpedo worked too well" Quill said.

Everyone just ignored Quill.

Count Nefaria emerged like a blurr in front of James Quill. His hands were covered in Badoon blood. Quill could see chunks of Lizard _pieces_ on him.

John Walker took a glaring look at the count. "Dammit Nefaria, I said minimal casualties." he said as he grit his teeth in anger. _Walker was so damn arrogant he wasnt even scared of Nefaria_, Quill observed.

Rage and Luna were busy putting the final touches on the device. Luna flipped a swich on the odd looking circular metal disc and the thing began to hum. She gave Red Bolt a thumbs up.

"It's done, thirty seconds to activation" Red Bolt said.

Walker looked at them and nodded. he looked at his watch quickly and opened up the communication link.

"Rider, do you copy?" Walker asked in the comm.

"Go for Nova prime, John is that you?" Richard Rider responded in the link. its sounded like hell on the other end.

Walker got up and motioned everyone to come in close.

"Rich, we are about to detonate the package. I'll see you on the other side buddy. Mission success." Walker reported.

"Copy, Walker Good work in there. There is a pack of cold one's in the fridge. Save one for me." Rich Rider's voice said.

_Detonate?_ Quill did not know what to think. _I didn't sign up for a suicide run_, he thought. _All this just to wax ourselves?_

_Quill looked around. Ten seconds? It was too late to run. D'ast._

Nefaria looked at Quill with a scowl. His red eyes glowing_._

General Margoyle looked out into space at the glow of PC below. Explosions and heavy laser fire danced before him and reflected in his brown eyes. Suddenly, all the lights and flashing colors blinked out. Everything went blurry as his stomach felt like it was turning inside out and his head spun. Then, everything turned jet black.

Then, the stars_ shifted._


	16. Chapter 16

In space, the bright blue flash ripped through the battlefield.

The light was blinding, like a thousand atom bombs crashing into the sun. There was a huge pop of sub space as gravity and the laws of physics inverted. The huge space destroyer in the radius of the effect distorted and warped. The area around the disabled living ship bent with space-time as if the event horizon of a black hole was struggling to form. _Something had just detonated on the Red Dragon_, _He who Reaves Mountains_ thought.

Then, in one instant later, the Badoon ship was gone. _The Red Dragon_ had vanished from the battle of Pericles' Crossing with the blink of an eye. Immediately after the event, everything seemed to stop as all the combatants in the fight glared at the huge hole in space where the massive ship had once been. _She was gone_!

"What just occurred? What magic is this? Where is the _Dragon_?" _He who Reaves Mountains_ asked his sister."Tell me now!"

"I do not know, brother" _The Moons Chilling Glow_ said as she desperately looked at the monitors on her Badoon officer's desks. "What just happened?" She shouted at the spasmodic group of Badoon who were struggling to get her an answer.

Richard Rider smiled as he ripped through space. In between gravometric blasts, he looked at the bare spot where the Badoon mega destroyer had formerly occupied.

"It's a go, Nick..I told you our boy would come through" Rider said in his comm link to Nick Fury.

Rider's attack wings were just about to shatter through the dumbstruck Badoon forces who suddenly realized their ace in the sleeve had just vanished.

On board _The Rogers_, Nick Fury cracked a wide grin. In his arms, was the bleeding telepath Moondragon, who was hurt, but still alive.

"Now what?" Cammi asked as she stood over Fury.

"Now , we win this thing." Fury answered.

Badoon hyper drives suddenly flashed in the midst of the battle. Scores of Badoon vessels were leaving the Pericles' Crossing system_. It was a retreat._

Vance Astro looked on as the _Titan's Fury_ ripped through stupefied Badoon ships. "They're Running Eros, this thing worked!"

Eros smiled, he cycled through images of the Badoon fleet and assessed what was taking place. _Only a partial retreat,_ Eros thought.

"Not those Hyper carriers Vance. There are still more destroyers moving forward. That super destroyer there, it's a mean one." Eros said as he pointed to the view screen at a larger destroyer that was the Badoon ship _The Soul Stealer_.

"At least it evens things out." Eros said.

"No_." He Who Reaves Mountains_ said in a soft voice as he looked at the flashes of fleeing Badoon ships.

The Badoon god stared like everyone else at the monitors on board _The Soul Stealer_ of images of the battle in dumbfounded disbelief.

"Those cowards will pay with their souls." He said as he squeezed the handle of_ Tyrrorbilt_ .

"They are mostly Snark conscript ships and fringe world vessels, meaningless." His sister said.

The towering Badoon God lifted his axe and rested it on his shoulder. "Ready my riders and prepare the airlock. I would enter this fray and show them the true might of a Badoon master."

"Our father forbade this, he will not forgive you!" His sister cried.

"Be gone woman! I answer to no Badoon." he said as he slapped his sister out of the way. "My father raised me to be a warrior who leads, not a dog. I will fly and I will win this fight." He said as he walked down the stairs to the lower chambers.

"I will drink the blood of Nova Prime. _Tyrrobilt _craves battle." He said as the elevator doors closed on him.


	17. Chapter 17

Rider pushed the god's face into the wall of the streaking destroyer. The one they called_ He Who Reaves Mountains'_ head raked across the metal hull of the ship and scrapped a burning rut several inches deep along the side of the vessel. The wound glowed white hot with friction. The Badoon's head clunked against a hard piece of the destroyer's frame and bounced backward.

"Aarargh!" The god shouted in pain. Nova prime had the god on the ropes.

But _He Who Reaves_ Mountain was no easy prey.

The god reached over and brought his divine metal axe, _Tyrrorbilt, _down on the side of the ship. This freed him from Rider's hold and the lock of gripping twisted metal. He wheeled around with the force of a tornado. He struck out with his weapon and the butt of _Tyrrorbilt_ smashed Rider in the exposed mid-section. Rider gasped as his wind was knocked out from his chest. He spit out and wheezed as he took the hit to stomach. _Da'st he hits hard_, Rider thought.

As Nova Prime flew backwards from the strike, _The Mountain_ brought his axe back over his head and readied a follow up blow. _Now to let the blood of the damned Prime_, the Badoon God thought.

But the brilliant flash of orange and white ruined the blow. _Firelord_.

Firelord rammed into _The Mountain_ at a speed faster than light. The herald locked his staff under the god's chin and drove him back with the awesome force of the power Badoon god buckled back in pain as Pyreus wrapped around him and drove the divine warrior though a line of Badoon ships. Both figures plowed through the hapless vessels like they were made of paper mache. Explosions and shattering life support systems cracked through the soundless vacuum.

Both combatants flew through the hull of the Badoon Hyper Carrier _The Carnak_. They continued through deck after deck and buried themselves deep in the _Carnak'_s' engineering hold. Badoon scampered around with extinguishers as the crewman struggled to contain the damage.

_The Mountain_ grabbed Pyreus by the throat and slammed him down on the metal flooring. His godly fingers squeezed into the Herald's flesh as he drove him down into the floor. The metal plated flooring bent with the sheer power of the god's driving force. Firelord shouted with pain.

On the Badoon destroyer _The Soul Stealer_, _The Moon's Chilling Glow_ had finally lost the _Titan's Fury_ in the chaos of the battlefield. She reviewed the status of her brother. _D'ast the Nova vessel is advanced. It has technology I have never seen_, she thought.

"Attack the Prime and his flyers. Separate him from my brother so that he may slay the fire devil. He must not be allowed to assist _the Herald_, all guns on the Prime!" She yelled into the Badoon fleet's communication frequency

Her first officer, a small Badoon with grey scales came forward.

"My Lady, we should not remove ships from their carriers, we can still win this fight, the fight with _the Prime_ is pointless.." he could finish his words, the fist struck the Badoon officer with the divine force of a thousand icy war hammers. He flew against the wall of _The Soul Stealer_ like a rag doll. His body dropped to the floor lifeless and bloody. The dead Badoon's eyes were iced over with frost.

The Goddess reeled back and gestured her hands at the officer. His skin burst apart with ice chunks from within his body. She looked at the smaller weapons Ensign standing at parade rest behind her. He gulped with fear.

"Fool!" She shouted, "Get me a new First Officer, Ensign, one who will listen to their Goddess." _The Moons Chilling Glow_ said as she wiped her hand.

"Yes, My Lady" The ensign sounded as he scurried off.

_The Soul Stealer_ wrapped around and wheeled to face Richard Rider. On the monitor, the image of Nova Prime was fully targeted in the ship's weapon system. The Goddess smiled as she pushed the button to fire.

Rich grit his teeth as he prepped for impact.

The main Badoon _Vibra_ cannon hit Rider hard. The blast sent Nova Prime careening back toward the atmosphere of PC. The auto blasters continued to hammer away at Nova Prime. _The Soul Stealer_ was a jewel of the Badoon fleet and one of the most dangerous crafts in the Universe. A blast from its dreaded _Vibra_ cannon could rend an entire asteroid into pieces.

But Nova Prime was not down.

With a trail of blood down his nose, Rider unloaded an arching gravometric burst in the destroyer's direction. The Badoon ship buckled in the air but managed to absorb the single blow with relative ease. Another Gravimetric blow hammered _The Soul Stealer_ in the forward vents. The Ship teetered off course. The Badoon craft began to smoke from the damage and oxygen of the upper atmosphere.

_The Mountain_ swung his massive axe _Tyrrorbilt_ at Firelord and struck nearby circuitry of the ship. Huge showers of metal and sparks poured from what looked like critical machinery. The ship tottered in place. The damage to the ship was extreme.

The huge hole formed when the heavyweights had violently entered the carrier sucked debris and crewman outside into the thin atmosphere of PC. Badoons were ripped out into the thin upper air as the two goliaths continued to fight. The noise of rushing air was deafening.

Firelord ducked down and unloaded a flaming blast with his stave into _The Mountain's_ midsection. The God stepped back but brushed off the blow like it was nothing. _The Mountain_ kicked Pyreus to the ground. The hit sent Firelord back with a vengeance into a operations terminal behind them that was lit with warning lights. It looked important. The machinery exploded with electrical sparks. Badoon science crew ran around the pair with more fire extinguishers and scurried to contain the now insurmountable destruction.

"The core is critical, the hull is hopelessly compromised, I am ordering a full evacuation of _The Carnak_. The ship has been destroyed!" The Badoon Commander of _The Carnak_ reported to the _Moon's Chilling Glow_. "My lady this battle appears lost to us, better to regroup near Huz' Deyr and mount a second counter attack."

_The Moon's Chilling Glow_ glared at the monitor.

"Traitor! Stop trying to save yourself and aid my brother!" She screamed into the link.

_The Mountain_ sliced down into Firelord with a quick and effective blow. _Tyrrorbilt_ caught Firelord on the arm. It gashed him in the shoulder and sent his searing blood spurting to the floor of engineering. He screamed in pain.

"_Tyrorrbilt_ has never tasted blood such as yours. It delights! It loves to drink the blood of false gods..especially former messengers of a _false God."_ _He Who Reaves Mountains_ boasted. "In fact, my axe whispers to me that your blood tastes as weak as your silver surfer. "

Firelord lashed out with his double stave. A huge metal terminal snapped in half as the Badoon God dodged the blow. "Tell me, how many Badoon worlds did you bring your former master to feed upon?"

Firelord's anger was intense as he grit his teeth. The pain was unreal. The divine axe must have had some enchantment that added to its power.

"Ha Ha, yes, anger...this reality has no place for searchers and dreamers lord of fire. It is a place of War. It is the reality of the Badoon now." The god said as he struck out with his fist, hitting the herald on the side of the head.

Firelord dropped down and spit his blood out on the floor. He could hear the soft song of music in the thunderous noise of the ship.

The Badoon carrier _The Carnak_ suddenly began a radical course alteration, no longer descending with any type of control. Huge sections of the ship were now breaking off into the atmosphere. The ship looked to be in critical failure. It began to fall in space as it dropped too low into the atmosphere of Pericles' Crossing'. Hangar Bays exploded and a stream of escape pods evacuated. Small ships poured from every alcove that remained intact. The exodus was as last ditch effort to abandon a lost cause.

"Abandon ship!" The Badoon captain screamed into his PA system as the reptilians fled the hallways of the vessel."Der's no hope abandon all hands!"

"We got one of their carriers." Eros of Titan said as they observed the crashing hyper carrier. "I hope that wasn't where Firelord ended up"

"There's too much static interference in the atmosphere for the positioning links to work." Vance said.

Rider dodged the massive blast from the _Soul Stealer_ as the rapid Gatling cannons raked a trail of destruction. The stream of energy blasts tried to hit Rich as he continued a series of unbelievable evasive maneuvers away from the _Soul Stealer's_ awesome attack.

_The Titan's Fury_ wheeled up behind the ship. It main torpedoes were fixed on the bulkhead of the Badoon ultra destroyer._ Here comes the cavalry_, Vance said to himself.

"Those are some nice moves for an old man!" Eros said into the link. "I have lock, Astovik" Eros said as he looked into his target monitor.

"Fire at will Eros!" Vance yelled as he tapped on the shield of Captain America.

_The Moon's Chilling Glow_ looked surprised to see the lock notification in her ship's targeting warning system. It was far too late for any maneuvers to avoid this _coup de grace_. She paused and looked up, as if she spoke to the stars. "I have failed my brothers.." She said.

_The Titan's Fury_ let loose the insurmountable Fusion torpedo. The projectile ripped into the _Soul Stealer_ with deadly and critical efficiency. Fire erupted through the halls and decks of _The Soul Stealer_. The damage overwhelmed the bridge. The massive volley ripped apart the elite Badoon ship. In lower orbit, the ship exploded in a brilliant fireball, fueled by the oxygen of the upper atmosphere of PC.

In the same second, Rich Rider whipped around and put in a punishing gravometric beam into the ship.

"Good shot Vance!" Rider exclaimed as he hovered in the air to observe the fireball as it hurtled toward the surface of PC.

A wing of Nova Corpsmen led by Johnny Storm and Wendell Vaughn arrived behind Richard Rider in the planets orbit.

"It looks like both Badoon ships may hit planet side. That carrier will be a big boom, its a fusion reactor." Johnny Storm said as they watched _The Carnak_ plummet to the planet's surface.

On board the gnarled flaming ball of metal that was the last remainder of _The Soul Stealer_, a tiny shard of ice formed on the metal frame work as the debris barreled to the planet. I am not dead yet, _The Moons Chilling Glow_ said to herself.

Meanwhile on the burning ship _The Carnak_, Firelord grabbed his ribs with agonizing pain. He had never felt such pain. The Axe's enchantments worked against him. His vision was blurred and the power cosmic felt as if it tried to leave his body. _They would have to earn my death_, Firelord thought to himself.

The Badoon axe master came at him with his weapon raised, prepping for the final blow on Firelord.

"No friends to save you now Firelord." _He Who Reaves Mountains_ said with a snarl.

Pyreus smiled. He felt the cool breeze of Xandar on his face as he closed his eyes. The blood dripped from his body to the ground below. He could hear the smooth song of his daughter in the wind. _Was she calling his name? Yes…she was, he thought._

"I have no regrets." _The Lord of Fire_ said as the Lizard God came forward.


	18. Chapter 18

Nova Corps Denarion James Luck was in a _frenzy_. His heart was pounding as he lashed out at the reptilian arms that tried to scratch and claw at him. In the swamp, the situation had gone really bad.

Luck lashed out like an animal at the Snark with his combat knife. His wild blow managed to graze the lizard on the thing's neck. But Luck's knife was sharp. Blood spurted as the nick caught the devil in the throat. Luck's heart felt like it would explode. The Snark fell to the mud and gripped its neck to control the blood. A panicked look hit the monster's face as it dropped out of sight, to the bog below. Immediately, another Snark took its place and stepped over its fallen comrade. The Snark lashed out with razor sharp claws. The sliced into Luck's shoulder as he buckled in pain. Behind Luck, the metal _Starrior_ ripped apart body after body as it plowed a path through the onrushing Badoon horde. Nova Centurion Crystar swung out with his blue claymore and impaled two Badoon with one blow. The blood and gore sprayed everywhere. It was "full on" hand to hand melee combat. It was a scene of nightmares. _Had I gone to hell?_ Luck wondered. _Kill or be killed. _

In front of him, the giant swamp worm swallowed squads of Badoon like they were candy. _It seemed to be on our side_, Luck thought.

Luck's battle trance was so intense he could barely hear Corpsman Aurora yelling at the top of her lungs. _What was that noise?_ Luck wondered.

"Get in the damn bunker!" it's the carrier! It's going to hit close!" She shouted.

Luck looked to the sky.

A Badoon hyper carrier was typically powered by a fusion drive. Not only were these generators full of enough power to supply to a floating city of thousands of Badoon, they were also incredible weapons of mass destruction when they crashed. The fusion core could have the equivalent of a 15 mega ton nuclear blast when it exploded. That was not good for anyone within, say, fifty miles of the explosion. As Luck looked in the sky he noticed the ship looked like it was about to crash only a few miles away.

"D'ast" he said out loud.

Luck turned around and grabbed Crystar by the shoulder. His skin was like warm glass as his hand slipped off. Crystar did not stop his attack.

"Get in the bunker with the others, I'll be fine." Crystar said as he continued to swing out at the rushing mob of lizard men.

Luck paused.

"Go , that's an order." Crystar said again.

Luck ran hard as he looked ahead to the door of the bunker. Murfle and Redhawk were yelling at him. Aurora and Razo must have been inside already. Only Crystar and the _Starrior_ still fought outside. Time seemed to slow down as Denarion Luck strode out each step. His legs were like iron. _Could I make it?_ Luck wondered. His muscles were on fire with fatigue. He felt like it had been days since he slept.

Luck felt the flash of light and the wave of heat on his back. It was like an oven was turned on behind him. He sailed into the crack in the door with the warm wind at his back. He heard the door slam as everything went black.


	19. Chapter 19

_He Who Reaves Mountains_ peeled back the twisted metal girders that were laced around his body and crawled through the wreckage. The destroyed Badoon hyper carrier _The Carnak_ would not serve as this god's funeral pyre.

Much of the god's body was badly wounded. His scars were burned down to his raw _Uplifted_ bones. The Badoon deity felt pain like he had not felt in ten thousand years. He walked from the wreckage aimlessly. His weight gave underneath the missing muscle from his legs. He stumbled in the smoke as his burned eyes struggled to regain their shape, the god could make out a devastated land around him. PC had been _eviscerated_ by war. The swamp had been burned beyond repair by the detonation of nuclear fusion drive of _The Carnak_. The fires burned bright in the once vibrant area of the swamp. A huge plume of smoke oozed up into the clouds and upper atmosphere.

The Badoon god tried to fly off, but his sense of equilibrium was off. He jumped skyward but quickly lost his orientation. _My body is failing_, the god thought. The Badoon briefly sailed through the sky of PC and crashed hard into the bog below. He dragged his axe _Tyrrobilt _behind him through the mud._ I need to rest_, the God said to himself.

_The Mountain's_ skin was burnt to a crisp. The mottled scales flaked off black scar tissue as his body tried to rapidly heal. He struggled to see as his eyes had been badly blasted. The god ached with pain as he struggled to hold the divine axe in his hand. Even squeezing the hilt hurt his bones. He had not felt this pain in thousands of years. _Where was his sister?,_ he wondered.

The air smelled of burnt wet grass and rubber. _Devastation around me._ The god felt proud. Huge plumes of soot from the explosion were billowing into the air and blocking the red horizon. The huge bonfires in the swamp provided a dancing glow. _This shall be the mark of the Badoon_.

Then _something_ hit him.

The sniper round capped the Badoon god on the skull and knocked him off of his wobbly feet. _The Mountain_ sailed back ten feet before he hit the ground and sank in a muddy hole. His head spun as the god tried to focus his mind. _What trickery is this?_, he wondered. He reached out to grab something to upright himself. His hand went to the pain on his forehead_. A bullet burning me._

The god peeled the mushroomed round off of his face. He grimaced with agitation. The metal bullet sizzled with the after effects of the round's plasma underlay. _A Nova round_, the God said to himself as he looked at the thorn in his side.

Denarion Murfle racked the bolt action on his sniper rifle and chambered another charge. He looked through his scope to scan for the dead body of the large Badoon he had just "smoked" with a clean shot to the head. _Where the hell is the corpse of that damn Lizard?_, Murfle wondered. It was hard to see through the smoke and haze, but Murfle was sure he had hit the thing.

Below Murfle, the squad poured out from the bunker. Denarion Luck came out first. The wildfires raged as Luck tried to see through the haze for his squad leader, Crystar.

In the distance, some of the noxious fumes looked like they had ignited into geysers of fire. A huge mushroom cloud now dominated the sky to the east.

The crystal warrior sat upright, alive and well, alone on a tree stump.

Crystar looked back as the squad kicked out the door from the bunker. The stump he sat on was more like charcoal than a tree. Crystar's sword was stuck in the ground. "Rads are still high, use your breathers." He grabbed his sword and looked around. "You should go back inside in a couple minutes." He said. "Damned if that bunker isn't made out of something strong."

"Umm are you ok, Sir?" Luck asked Crystar.

Crystar looked up at the Denarion. His eyes were covered in black soot . "Yeah kid, I'm fine" He replied.

"Jesus , look at it out here." Aurora said as she scanned around.

Around Crystar, PC was a flaming _holocaust._

Crystar dusted off the black soot covering him. He grabbed his blade and put the massive sword on his back. His Nova pants were sizzling with heat as he stood up.

"C'mon sleepy heads..rise and shine. Just keep your helmets on." He said with a smile. "Don't touch me for a while though. I'll probably burn you."

Crystar looked at Aurora, Her helmet was cracked and severely damaged. " How is your shielding working? "

"Its ok, i still have functionality." Aurora replied.

"It should help with the Rads, but get in the bunker when you can, don't spend too long out here." He said.

The swamp behind Crystar looked like it was gone. The land had turned black , like the rest of PC. Most of the thick swamp plants and trees had been flattened down and charred. Small Wild fires raged in clusters of burned trees. More of the geysers of pure flame spit from unknown underground deposits of noxious fumes and natural gas.

There were no living Badoon in sight.

"Murfle, let me know if you see any more Badoon." Crystar barked. "Be careful, with all the weird gasses in this swamp this place may blow any second. Use your secondary breathers." Crystar said.

"My emergency breather still works" Aurora said as she pulled out the small clear mouth piece from her pack.

Instead of pull security, everyone except Murfle just sat down in the baked mud. The smoke and steam were everywhere. Razo looked around in a haze. The mushroom cloud to the east was massive and rising deep in to the upper atmosphere. _We managed to destroy hell itself_, Razo thought as she looked at the cloud. she was thirsty.

"Its something else, isn't it?" Crystar said to James Luck as he put his leg up on a dead Badoon who was partially burned into the ground. Crystar was looking at the massive cloud in the sky.

"It reminds me of Houston." Redhawk said. "I hate it."

"I can't believe we lived through that, the damn Badoon carrier practically landed on top of us." Aurora said.

"Guess its LUCK" Razo said. Luck and Aurora rolled their eyes.

"Tell that to Purv" Redhawk said as he sat down on a crispy tree stump. There was no sign of the _Starrior_ in sight, if it even could be considered the final resting place of Ditmal Purval.

"Sir, where are you from anyways?" Razo asked Crystar.

"Nowhere in particular." Crystar responded. "You writing a book Razo?"

"No I just wondered, we've been through like a lot together and we was all wondering about you? Like where you from? What did you do? Are you married? You know , get to know you. I'm tired of hearing about Redhawk and Texas." She replied.

"Hmm" Crystar grunted.

Crystar walked over to the lump in the mud. He kicked off a charred piece of backed on sod. Underneath, you could see the metal of the _Starrior_. The joints on the thing still had the green glow of whatever Ditaml Pirvat's energy was left.

Crystar looked up at Razo. "My wife's name was Ambara" He said to her quickly as he knocked off another chunk of the burned mud from the Starrior. Redhawk and Aurora came over to help him.

Crystar looked at Denarion James Luck. "Hot enough for you, Luck?" He asked with a grin.

Luck only smiled back at him.

"That was some fancy work with your knife back there" Crystar said. "I'm glad you two came on" he said as he pointed his shoulder up to Murf on the high point.

"Yeah, I guess we'll let you stay." Redhawk said as he poked Razo.

Aurora started to laugh heavily. "It feels good to laugh, man" She said.

But the laughs were short lived

Just then, the huge Lizard came from behind the steaming remains of the _Starrior_ like a phantom. _For a black and burned thing, it moved damn quick_, Luck thought. It was the biggest Badoon Luck had ever seen. The thing's eyes glowed blood red. The Badoon looked like it had been char broiled. It's skin smoked and it had a horrific glowing axe. It was like a moment right out of a scene from some old earth slasher film. _What the hell was this thing? _Luck wondered.

Before anyone could blink, the monster had thrown Crystar off into the distance.

"Aieee" Aurora screamed as it swatted her to the ground. She squeezed off a shot into the mud below.

_He Who Reaves Mountains_ laughed as he wheeled around. Luck lunged at him with his knife. The god dodged the blow with little effort. The thing batted Luck down like a fly with the back of his hand. Luck flew twenty feet through the mud and hit a burning log so hard his helmet cracked and the HUD flickered. He saw black.

"Novas will die." The hulking god screamed. "I hunger for mammal meat."

Then, thundering out of the sky, came the _back up._

Nova Prime hit the god with the force of a Gravometric atom bomb. _He Who Reaves Mountains_ went flying to the mud. Murfle unloaded a clean shot to the things gut as he was knocked back. Rider stepped forward and unleashed into the god with a cross combo and knee thrust. The god's head was crushed into the ground.

Above, Murfle racked his sniper rifle. The gun made a brief noise and a red light blinked on his scope. Murfle frowned and dropped it in place. _No more D'ast ammo_, he observed.

Rich Rider grabbed _The Mountain_ by the shoulder and threw him into a raised piece of land.

"Your gonna pay for this, flarking lizard. I remember what you did on Earth." Rider said.

The god laughed as it hit the ground. All the rest of the Nova corpsmen could do was watch as the heavy weights battled.

The Badoon god swung his mighty axe at the Nova Prime, the blow whizzed through the air with a static charge. Rider jumped back and managed to parry the blow. With a riposte, he grabbed the axe and ripped it from the god's hand. Immediately, the weapon went flying and sunk into the mud. Rider hit the devil with a hard jab that connected to _The Mountain's_ face. The god slumped over and grabbed his chin. Fluid dripped from the wounded god's mouth.

Aurora ran over to the weapon and tried desperately to pick up the Axe. The blade would not move. Redhawk came over and tried it as well. No luck, it would not budge. _It was like the axe was fused to the ground_, Redhawk thought.

"It must be enchanted" Aurora said, "Like _Thor's_ old hammer" Redhawk looked at her and nodded.

Then, in the middle of the firestorm of a post nuclear holocaust, a _miracle _happened.

As Luck ran back to the scene, he felt the snowflakes on his shoulder and looked around. _Snow?_ The flakes began to fall in huge clumps all around the burning swamp. Nova Prime and the Badoon god fought as the snow dumped around them.

The ice sizzled as it hit the small fires and scalding pools.

"Now we definitely aint in Texas anymore, right Hawk?" Razo said to Redhawk.

Aurora looked around. This was real snow. _How was this possible_, she wondered?

Then, the cold hit like a shock-wave.

The water in the bog turned immediately to thick ice. Richard Rider, who was waste deep in mud, was frozen in place. The Nova Prime looked up to the sky.

The Badoon ship invaded the skyline like a bad nightmare. In front of the Badoon destroyer, _The Moon's Chilling Glow _gestured with her icy fingers toward the battle. The Badoon goddess was flanked by a platoon of elite Badoon troopers. The woman looked badly burned as well. _What does it take to kill one of these bastards? _Rider wondered.

"You will die here now Prime." She screamed as she flew into the fray.

Rider unloaded the gravimetric arc-light at the woman and broke out of the icy hold. Small shards of ice crystal went flying everywhere. He blasted her with beams of energy as she continued to freeze the air around.

"Let's see it lady," Rich said as he mocked the goddess.

Murfle and Crystar found themselves wrapped in the icy embrace of huge thick knots of hard ice. Redhawk was sealed next to the Starrior with a massive blanket of snow and ice. The woman could create ice out of thin air.

_He Who Reaves Mountains_ gathered his bearings and charged the Nova corpsmen. He picked up Corpsman Aurora by the neck and snarled. The god lifted Aurora three feet off the ground and squeezed her throat slowly. The god relished in the pain in her eyes as the Corpsman struggled. "Inhuman, you have met your end." He squeezed slowly harder with more force. The god grinned wide, engrossed in the torture."Know there is honor in dying at my hands, I am your God as well."

Aurora wanted to scream but she could not make a sound with the thick Badoon hand around her neck. He was smiling at her with an evil smile. The water was below her. The bomb had burned the mist form the air. _This was it_, she thought.

"Someday your people will kneel before me. The Badoon will rule everything." He said as he still squeezed her tighter.

The air cackled with arcane power.

James Luck stood up as he splashed behind the God. Startled, _He Who Reaves Mountains_ turned his head in anger to look at Luck. The god did not like being surprised from behind. "Who dares sneak up on me?" The Badoon god growled.

What the Badoon saw, made his reptilian jaw drop in fear. It took much to bring fear to a god who did not know the meaning of the word.

James Luck stood in the swamp, before a Badoon deity, holding the divine Badoon axe of aeons old, the ancient Badoon arbiter they called _Tyrrorbilt. _The god was dumbfounded._ He holds my axe in his human hands!_ _The Corpsman was worthy? How was this possible? None but I can wield Tyrrorbilt! The Mountain _struggled with thought as panic set in to his mind.

"Put her down!" Luck yelled. as he brought the axe backwards with both hands. Energy swelled through his body.

Luck acted without a thought. _Kill or be Killed._

He swung the axe without any effort at the mid section of the Badoon God. The blade glided with a divine grace as it cut the very atoms in the air on its way to the target. _He who Reaves Mountains_ scaled face went white as the metal sliced him in half. There was a sickly sound of popping steel and slicing skin. A shower of blue sparks flew into the burning air as the sacred armor of the god was cracked open. _Divine metal on Divine metal_. The wound was clean and quick. The god had been ripped by his own blade.

_The Mountain's_ eyes went in to the back of his head as the _god slid off of himself_ and fell into the mud puddle. For a second, the god's lower half and legs still stood on uneasy ground spurting Badoon blood before they tumbled over into the sod.

A splash sounded as the god flayed out with his arms. Luck and Aurora exchanged looks for a brief second. Then, Luck felt the pain in his body.

The burn in his arm felt like a baptism of fire. He went to his knees as he felt the pain deep in his bones. For a second, he saw something. A brief flash that started eternity. _What was this? The stars?_

Luck said nothing as he dropped the Axe by the hilt. _Dirty Badoon thing_, he thought as he wiped his hands on his pants. He put out his hand to Corpsmen Aurora who was laying on the ground, holding her neck. He stumbled over again in pain. _The stars. Cosmic energy around._

The rush of thoughts hit him as his bones ached with pain. He scrapped at the mud and sod on the ground. His mind opened with vibrant images. _Fire._ _The stars_._ Worlds destroyed. Sentient life ended. So much loss. Air Walker. Brother. A huge purple helmeted being of endless power. A hunger. Battle with brothers. War. The Corps. Xandar. Gabriel. A small girl. The sweet smell of summer and the sound of a child's laughter. Xandar. Soothing winds and a warm glow of the sun. Xandar. Thanos grin. A gauntlet of shimmering power. Brothers together, united, stand to laugh at death. The fire. The power cosmic. The song of the universe. Freedom. A shield. Brothers. Fire. Together. Xandar. The woman. Her face is dark. her robes are purple. She reaches out. The sound of laughter. The smell of flowers. Xandar._

Luck fell to his knees. Energy cackled from his fingertips and in to his chest. He collapsed into the mud in pain into the fetal position.

"Jesus" Murfle said as he looked on. "Luck just cut the damn Badoon god in half!"

Aurora ran up to Luck and she took his hand_. His eyes looked strange_, she thought. As she touched him, she was shocked with a static charge. She hugged him as he lay contorted in the mud. The alien axe had planted itself in the ground. The weapon looked lifeless.

Rider dodged the magic ice funnel by the Badoon woman as it sputtered back toward the planet. Hundreds of razor sharp ice crystals shot out from her limbs toward the Rider. Nova Prime swirled around and followed the attack with another gravometric beam. The streaking bolt hit her soundly in the gut. The goddess buckled over. The woman screeched with pain.

Rider had not forgotten about the destroyer and Badoon troopers. The salvo of laser fire from them danced through the air, buying them time. _Where the hell was Vance?_ Rider wondered.

The Badoon destroyer went on the offensive. The ship pounded its main guns at Rider and sent him flying to the bog below.

In the sky, _The Titan's Fury_ aimed in on the vessel and sent a huge ion blast at the Badoon ship. The torpedo bays whirled to life as they cycled a fresh round into the tube. A huge blast rang through the swamp as the projectile sped to the enemy.

The shot missed its mark, and hurtled down into the flaming bog below. The Badoon scattered.

_The Moons Chilling Glow_ looked down at the battle.

"Noooo!" she screamed. Down in the mud of the bog, The goddess saw the torn halves of her brother, and the Nova corpsmen standing around his body. His arms still awkwardly twitched and sputtered in the mud. "My brother!"

Like a cold wraith, she streaked down to the halved body and collected it. It convulsed in her arms as she tried to gather it. The woman cried and filled the air with hysterical emotion. As she collected the parts of her brother, she could not keep herself contained. She wrapped the body in sheets of ice to contain the bleeding.

"You will pay dearly for this." She said as she looked at James Luck and Corpsman Aurora.

Aurora looked on at the woman. She could not help but feel sorry for her.

_The Moon's Chilling Glow_ raced back to the Badoon destroyer. A plume of frozen ice was left in her wake. The shooting had stopped. Only the hum of star ship engines and the crackling of the flaming land below sounded above the wailing of the Badoon goddess.

Richard Rider stood next to Luck as he watched the woman fly to the Badoon Destroyer. Several elite Badoon guarded her retreat and assisted her with the body of her brother. Rider did not move.

"Let them go." Rich said.

No one challenged the order.


	20. Chapter 20

The huge worm broke through the ground again. Everything shook as the ice bonds holding the squad broke free and sent the others, including Nova Prime to the ground.

"Oh flark it, this damn thing again?" Redhawk said as he looked up.

The massive worm raised its huge mouth over the stunned Nova corpsmen. It could smell they had little left.

But instead of attack, the worm held in place. It looked on the group of Nova centurions. The giant monster focused its head on Richard Rider. The thing vibrated with electrical energy. The small leftover puddles shook with ripples on the ground.

"Damn , looks like that swamp worm is back!" Crystar shouted. _The Titan's Fury_ trained its main ion cannon on the huge leviathan.

"Hold your fire! There's no worms this big on D'ast PC!" Rider said. "This thing has something special inside of it." Rider said as he scanned the massive thing with his helmet. "I can feel something."

The worm remained motionless as it swayed above.

"Centurion Crsytar what the hell is this place?" Rider asked as he waved to the battered bunker.

"Some kind of old structure. Storage looks like. We found old tech in there like that Robot." Crystar kicked the flopped over giant with his leg."

"It's made of something rugged, protected the squad when the carrier crashed " Crystar said.

"I can't say for sure, the worm has some type of _Nova Force_ inside it." Rider said.

"What? How is that possible?" Crystar said.

"I don't know." Rider responded "It's got a strange signature to its energy."

The Giant worm hovered above the Nova Corps squad. Huge wads of spit spewed out from its mouth. Parts of a _Monster_ of the Badoon was stuck between its rows of razor sharp teeth. The creature went into a docile dormant state. The huge body lowered into the mud. It settled down on the surface and remained motionless. It hummed with some sort of energy. _The Protector._

"Odd" Rider said as he probed the worm and structure with his scanners. He looked at the _Starrior_. "..and this thing here is not from our Universe." He said as he kicked the thing.

"Aye, it's some fault junk we found stored inside. There's more too sir, we found a doorway in there." Crystar added. "We can't get it open"

Nova Prime looked up at Centurion Crystar and James Luck.

"Fault junk? Centurion Crystar?" Rider said with a smile. "That's strange coming from you" Rider said. "I've read your file."

Rider touched the razor sharp edges of _The Starrior's_ blades. He looked at Crystar's sword. He saw the fallen blade of the Badoon god and James Luck and Corpsmen Aurora slumped over next to it. Denarion Murfle had jumped down form his perch and had his combat knife out. "What are you guys, some sort of _mad slashers? _" Rich Rider asked with a smile.

Crystar looked at Nova Prime and scratched his head. "Hmmm.."

Murfle and Redhawk looked at each other and smiled as well.

"Centurion Crystar, why don't you show me this door." He asked.

Redhawk looked at Razo and the group spread out in a secure semi-circle around the entrance to the bunker. Murfle picked through some of the Snark and Badoon bodies to find a firearm with some ammo in it.

"Damn, glad to get off this stinking rock for a change. " Redhawk mumbled.

"Who said we were leaving just yet Denarion?" Rider stopped and asked.

"Never mind, sir" Redhawk responded.

Crystar gave him a scowl. "keep a look out for Badoon and watch your D'ast rads level."

"Get Luck in the Bunker now" Crystar shouted.

Behind him Redhawk and Aurora carried the shivering body of James Luck back into the bunker. Nova Prime, Richard Rider followed behind.


	21. Chapter 21

Luck's head still rang with strange thoughts. He could feel things now. In the walls and in the air. Something was trying to speak to him but he didn't know how to listen. In the darkness he heard voices. Stars emerged, but in the black something swirled.

The fires of the cosmic furnace have been extinguished. There was only shifting in the darkness between stars. Luck did not feel threatened. Whatever this was meant him no harm. The dark force spoke to him. _James Luck open your eyes._

Rich Rider was looking at Luck as he opened his eyes.

"Hey kid, welcome back." Rider said. Centurion Crystar was standing next to him." Good to see your awake, Just in time to check this out." Rider's hand was extended to James Luck for the second time in his brief career.

Luck reached out his hand and let Rider pull him up off the metal slab.

Luck sat first and let his head clear. _What was that shifting in the darkness?_ Luck stood up. The room shook , but Luck eased into an upright position. His feet were wobbly but stable.

"Good work back there kid, that Badoon was no slouch." Rider said.

Luck tried to remember what had even happened. _The god. I cut him in half._

"Thanks sir, I don't know what got into me, it was strange." Luck said.

"Well, we may need your help moving that axe later, I dont think any of us _can_ lift it." Rich said. Rider looked at Crystar and the whole dusty bay of the bunker. "This whole place is weird kid, but check this out." Rider said as he waved Luck to come closer.

They walked to where _The Starrior_ had been sitting hours ago. The carved doorway was hidden behind the figure. it would have been concealed behind the Robot's massive back. The door did not seem to have hinges. The emblem of the Nova corps was clearly visible on the center of the door.

"Do you know your Nova Corps history?" Rider asked with a smile. Crystar crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.

Luck thought he heard whispering. _Was that the others talking?_

"Probably not as well as I should." Luck said.

"Don't worry, kid, I won't quiz you." Rider tapped the door and lights blinked on the arch. "To make a long story short, the Nova Corps has secrets kid." Rider said with a smile.

"This place here," Rider knocked on the wall. "It was one of those secrets."

Rider put his hand up to the carved door. As he raised his palm to the face, the outline of the door glowed with blue and red imagery. Dust spit from the sides as the electronics whirled to life. The door rumbled and opened.

It was a yellow lit room with a single terminal in the center. It was not much bigger than a closet.

"After you, Luck" Rider said.

"Shouldn't we bring the others? What if there are Badoon down there?" Luck asked.

"Nah, we'll be OK. That worm out there knew who we were." Besides, we got 'wild man' Crystar with us. He's got that sword , after all." Rider tapped Crystar on the back.

"I think we'll be safe here." Crystar added.

Rider, Crystar and Luck walked to the center of the room. Rider put his hand up to the terminal again. It didn't need much to light up with red and orange blinking lights. Rider waved his hand and the lights changed to green and yellow.

"Hold on" Rider said.

The room gave a sudden jerk and metal snapped. Somewhere below was the rushing sound of spinning gears and coils. The room began to drop as the walls turned to an opaque glow. The small room was actually the entrance to a vertical lift.

Yellow lights with nova red stars lit up as they centered themselves in the room. The red lights turned green and the lift began to descend.

The elevator headed into the darkness below. Huge lights popped on as the black gulf opened into a massive lit chamber. As the lift cleared the initial tube, it came into a giant chamber with no visible means of connection. They felt like they were floating alone in the black as lights turned on everywhere below. The lift kept dropping slow. It lowered as if it was on an invisible tether.

The chamber was impossibly large. The lift came down somewhere on the eastern edge. It was like an underground world of gears and blinking lights. As far as Luck could see, the cavern stretched out on all sides. This was an unfathomable underground complex._ A factory?,_ Luck wondered. _It would have taken centuries to build this type of place_, Luck thought. Huge turbines and engines lined the walls and passages below. The high pitch scream of generators pierced the silence. Giant metal pistons and gears were spread out over a fantastic. Below and above, grated Catwalks darted everywhere in a labyrinth of elevated passages. Tanks of strange liquids churned and bubbled below. the walls were lined with thousands of miles of plastic and metal tubes. The giant coils and wires led to darker chambers beyond the reach of the glowing lights. _It went on forever_, Luck thought.

Over everything, the signs and banners of the Nova Corps hung with a thick cover of dust.

"How did our scans miss this?" Rider asked.

Crystar gave a brief chuckle.

The three men walked into the central chamber. A large terminal dominated the middle of the massive room. The computer's lights blinked on with a rush of energy. The Nova Corps emblem flashed on a heads up giant holographic display as it projected in front of the group.

"Welcome Richard Rider, Nova prime, and welcome unregistered Nova Corpsmen." The female voice said.

The sphere hummed with a blinding yellow glow. A red star flickered in the center. The air felt charged with surging electrons.

The female voice rang through the halls. Crystar jumped as he was startled by the noise. "Nova Prime detected. Nova Centurion and Nova Denarion. Reduced Nova force Gamma detected."

"Rider walked to the terminal and waved his hand. Diagrams and schematics flowed before him on a display. Nova Prime could process the images much faster than either of the Corpsmen. Pictures and displays flashed before Luck's eyes. Rider settled on an image of a glowing circle with a shimmering Nova emblem on it.

"Nova Force Bravo selected." The voice said. "Online. Booting. Estimated time to reboot, four Xandarian cycles."

"That's about a month" Rider said. "This may be a completely separate Nova Force. I'm not sure what this means."

Rider cycled through more of the images. A picture of the planet and moon of Pericles' Crossing came up. "Intersting" Rider said. It was evident he could process information like a computer now. It gave truth to the rumor Corpsmen tossed around in the barracks that Rider's human mind had been changed to be as efficient as a computer.

"Hang on, things may get bumpy" Rider said as he selected an icon on the planet screen.

"Terraformers online." The voice said. New generators began humming deep down in the chamber.

The ground below the Nova corpsmen rumbled. Back in the bunker, Denarion Redhawk and Corpsmen Aurora looked at each other as they reloaded magazines in the bay. Dust rocked from on top of all the storage shelves and boxes in the bunker. Concrete cracked as the earthquake shook the facility.

Outside, _The Titan's Fury_ bounced as the earthquake continued.

Vance Astro blinked through the screens. "An earthquake on PC? I never heard of one. " He looked at Eros and Corpsman Bradley. "Get me diagnostics what the hell is going on?"

Luck heard the voices in his head. _What was that?_ He flashed back to the darkness. Something swirled and struggled to gain shape.

"Were moving. Motion. The gyroscope just flipped the lid. Something just happened. Magnetic sensors are going off the charts. The atmosphere and geology of the planet has gone off the charts." Corpsmen Bradley said as he scanned the numbers.

"So what's going on?" Vance asked.

Eros and Bradley both looked at each other."We don't know"

The schematic of the planet came up in the center terminal. An image of Pericles' Crossing came up again. The image was separated into grids. At the center was an object that must have been the planet core. Arrows blinked to life on the round diagnostic of the core. The arrows moved in a circular patter that indicated motion.

"I think we just charged the planet core." Rider said. "PC may start rotating if this is right."

"Affirmative. Xandar protocol initiated." The female voice said. "Core fusion in process. Convection cycle started."

"Well, at least she sounds better looking than _my_ world mind was." Rider said as he smiled.

Eros and Vance could not believe what they saw. The massive mountains behind the Jungles and swamps of the "sweet spot" rumbled as stone and rock gave way. Massive grates shot up into the air. Fumes of gas spewed out of the turbines.

"Where did those come from?" Eros asked.

"Nitrogen Oxygen compound detected. Its earth grade atmosphere." Bradley said.

" Terraformers? The place is coming alive." Rider said.

"Core motion achieved. Magnosphere charged. Atmosphere pending. World mind AI pending." The voice said.

"Detected: Additional atmospheric radiation. Compensating decontamination. WARNING: current radiation levels are unacceptable for prolonged Xandarian habitation, recommend evacuation during decontamination process." The voice reported.

The ground rumbled more. Denarion Luck felt heavier as he stood in the chamber. His ears popped. Lights were blinked everywhere as massive pistons churned in the huge passage underneath him.

"But what is it?" Luck asked.

"This place was a _contingency plan_. One of many. It's another Xandar, a new Xandar. If that turns out to be a Nova Force, we may have just changed this war. " Rider said. "Time will tell.. we got a month"

"These things here are _back up devices_ to the living computers. They contain all the data about the Nova force." Rider said as he cycled through the screens.

Luck looked at the massive computers that sat in rows below him. There was something alive in them, like brain matter. _Organic computers. _They glowed neon green.

"Well aside from _the secrets_ that is...but maybe there are some in there we didn't know." Rider said as he smiled. "Each one of these we find will help us."

Rider looked at Luck. "C'mon James, let's get out of here."

As Rider and _The Madslashers_ opened the door. _The Titan's Fury_ was charged and ready to go.

The squad loaded on to the ship.

"See you at Knowhere." Rider said, "Remember, deck four promenade. report for duty ASAP." Rider said to Centurion Crystar. " Oh and Crystar, I'd set your crew up on T_he Titan's Fury_ for the long hall, its your new assignment."

Eros looked back and smiled. "Welcome aboard"

A small gravity platform had the damaged glowing _Starrior_ strapped down flat on a pallet as it was being loaded on to _the Titan's Fury_.

"What the heck is that thing?" Vance asked.

Rider burst up into the upper atmosphere with a blinding flash. A thunder crack of the sonic boom burst through the air, and he was gone. Only rings of clouds remained as the flash of his engines signaled a star gate jump in the upper atmosphere.

Luck stood next to Crystar and Vance Astrovik. _The Madslashers_ looked out through the view window on the main bridge of the ship. The scene outside stunned the crew.

With the core restarted, the planet had begun to rotate. The borealis effect shimmered against the red dawn. The sun on PC was finally rising. _A new Day for Pericles' Crossing_.

At last, the dawn came to PC.

_The Titan's Fury_ began to lift from the ground as the engines screamed to life.

"Never thought I'd be so grateful to see a sun rise." Aurora said.

"The first day on _New Xandar_." Razo said.

"Flark that." Murfle said as he cleaned his sniper rifle. He spit on the rag he was using to clean the barrel. "It will always be D'ast PC to me."

Luck felt his fingers and bones tingle as he heard the words "Xandar."


	22. Chapter 22

Fury stood looking through the glass shield at the massive Red Dragon starship docked at Knowhere.

Around the ship were hundreds of United Front and Nova Corps star ships. Knowhere was the major command for all the Nova Corps outside the stronghold of Titan.

General Margoyle stood next to Fury as the pair looked out in space.

" A "Controlled _battle field_ defection", shipped complete with all his toys intact." Fury said as he looked at the General. "I can't believe we pulled it off"

"It was costly for all. Know that there is no turning back now General Fury. I am with you. I expect your end of the bargain to be kept. " Margoyle said.

Fury looked at him with a glare.

"My sources tell me the Badoon still have no clue what's going on. But they will soon. By the time the Badoon _Uplifted_ know what hit them, we should be in shape for the attack on Halaa." Fury said.

Nick pulled out a match and lit a fresh stogie. He offered one to Margoyle who held out his hand and declined.

The hydraulic doors hissed and two figures walked in the room.

"Pretty sure you can't smoke on a space station, Nick" Peter Quill said , master of the Spartax empire said as Richard Rider walked behind him.

"I was never one for rules" Fury said as he licked the ends of his cigar.

"No matter whose side I'm on, there was great cost today. If I am to take over these Badoon and their allies in the Andromeda and turn them against the main faction then I will need all the ships I can get. " Margoyle said.

"Let's cut the bull General, this defection and restarting the lost Xandarian colony on PC is going to turn the war around for us. " Rider said as he paced the room

"But we need to know you are on board with everything that has to be done." Rider said.

"No Richard Rider, I need to know that _you_ are on board with me. Do not forget our prior discussion and pact. I need you to act swiftly to secure _what I value_. _That was the agreement_." The General said calmly.

Margoyle held up an envelope. He exchanged a brief look with his trusted first officer, who stood at parade rest in the back of the room. "This item is for your review after this discussion. It should provide all the assurances you need."

He handed Rider the envelope. "From one soldier to another." the general said. "I am sorry for the loss of your men today, Nova Prime." Margoyle rubbed the cosmic control rod on his chest. "But know this, I know how you managed to teleport _The Red Dragon_ away from the battlefield at PC these thousands of light years away to Knowhere. It was impressive, but risky. I know that this station is currently recharging its power reserves and the device you call the _continuum cortex_ is drained. This leaves this station effectively helpless for the next few days. and incredibly vulnerable to attack. If I were a traitor, or a double agent, my sizable reserve fleet in Archon, not far from here, could sweep in and punish the last fortress of the Nova Corps in Andromeda. The Badoon would triumph and win the war. "

Pete , Rider and Fury all shared a long look.

"We were not aware you knew that, General. It's good to know you have a reserve fleet as well." Quill answered as he cleared his throat.

"What Nova Prime is saying, is that we need to be sure of your intentions. Can we trust you?" Quill asked.

Margoyle gave a deep look to Peter Quill.

"Do you trust your general Fury?" the General asked.

Rider and Quill smiled. Fury fidgeted and had an amusing look on his face. He blew a smoke ring with his cigar without saying a word.

"The armor I wear upsets you." Margoyle said to Rider.

"It does." Rider answered. "Can we trust you Margoyle?" He replied.

"Open the file" Margoyle said. "..and know that this armor has meaning to me as well."

Margoyle moved for the door. He had a dignified walk as he pushed on the activation device. The door opened with a hydraulic shift. The Badoon first officer followed his commander out of the room. The door closed with another hydraulic spit. Fury puffed on his cigar as he looked out in space.

Peter Quill sat down in Fury's recliner.

"Well that went well" Quill said with a laugh.

"I think it did." Fury said. "I think we can trust him, I've thought that all along. This is a game changer."

"I want to look at this envelope." Rider said.

"How did my son perform?" Quill asked both men.

Rider looked out at the _Red Dragon_.

"He'll do fine" Fury said.

"He's raw Pete, but he'll come around." Rider looked down at the floor. "Walker told me he got mouthy when he wasn't told the whole plan...but he said the kid pulled his weight."

"Where are they now?" Quill asked.

"Not sure, he, and the rest of the Avengers are down in the bar tying one on. They've got a couple days to refit here." Rider said.

"Don't let Walker near the Jack Daniels" Fury said as he chewed the end of his stogie.

"Hmm , and what about this kid Luck? He's a Denarion? Is he the last one? I thought we stopped that _program_?" Quill asked.

Rider and Fury both exchanged a look.

"He's an older attempt. He, got sorta lost in the shuffle. We didn't even know he was still alive till a couple weeks ago. yeah, he's the last one out there." Rider responded. "And he's going to be promoted to centurion tomorrow, before I ship out for Earth."

"Jesus, well thats good news I guess, if it works out" Quill responded.

"His unit is calling themselves _The Madslashers_..they did pretty well on PC, the kid proved to be able to lift _The damn Mountain's_ axe and sliced him in half. His squad leader said he had leadership traits off the charts." Rider said.

"Are you serious? Cut him in half? That axe is like _Mjolnir_ right? Only someone "worthy" can pick it up? The kid lifted it? He killed one of the _Uplifted _jerk offs?" Quill asked.

"Yeah he lifted it," Rider said. "I have my doubts he killed it though. Those things are unbelievably tough. It's sister took him away, the _Moon_ chick. I thought I had offed her for sure. I'm not sure how she was alive either."

Peter Quill looked down. He poured himself a drink at the side table. His hand shook as he held the decanter of fluid. He grabbed his hand with his other arm.

"We're putting the kid's squad on the _Titan's Fury_. I'm going to have Vance and Eros keep an eye on them."

"Hmm, I thought you said you wanted to keep this kid alive?" Fury asked.

"Vance will take good care of him, maybe teach him a thing or two. The kid looks like he can handle himself. Looks like we may have pulled that old plan off."

Rider looked around at Fury. "You two know about Pyreus, right?"

"Yeah, KIA , they didn't pull his body out of the wreck." Fury said. "We'll miss him "

Fury looked back at Rider.

"I know we don't do funerals here. But let's go have a beer for the _Last Xandarian_. Pyreaus would have wanted that." Rider said. "He loved the Corps."

Fury nodded.

"Yeah, let's go." Quill said. "I want to have a look in that envelope." Quill said as got up from his chair.


	23. Chapter 23

James Quill and John Walker sat at the bar. The Spartan deck on the secondary promenade was one of three gin mills on Knowhere, reserved for Nova Corps and United Front troopers. The place was crowded with the Avengers, Nova Corps flyers and United naval officers in formal dress uniforms.

Walker shoved up next to Quill at a stool and pushed over a brown bottle to Quill.

"No good beer around worth a lick, this stuff is some Skrull drink that's about as close as you can get." John Walker said.

"I don't really feel like drinkin' much, John " Quill said.

Walker shoved the bottle in his hand anyways.

"You did good back there kid, You'll be OK. Just do as your told. Trust will come in time. You've got to pull your weight same as everybody." Walker said.

"I know it's just to see Nefaria and some of those guys in action. I thought we were the good guys man, Nefaria is a damn _menace_." Quill said as he toughed out a brutal sip. The stuff tasted like carbonated poison. _It was good._

"Yep, but he's _our_ menace." Walker replied.

Quill and Walker both looked at Count Nefaria across the promenade. Nefaria sat alone in a chair at the end of the bar. The former villain looked around the room with a scowl on his face. His eyes glowed red ionic energy. Walker raised his beer to the count and gave a toothless smile. The count nodded.

"Look at that bastard" Walker said "Nope, he's no hero."

"To hell , I know kid, I know about heroes." He took a big pull from the bottle. "You see, Nefaria is well...he's a damn _Killer_, son. Turns out, that's what we need right now. _Killers_" Walker took a deep chug from the brown bottle."There ain't no heroes any more kid. The time for heroes is done. The Badoon killed 'em all."

Walker brought over a little bowl of what looked like nuts. he grabbed a handful and shoved them in his mouth. Behind him, Noh-Varr and Luna were having an in depth conversation while Rage was speaking with a female Nova centurion.

"By the way, kid, don't look know but the ole' Count can hear every word your said, I forgot to tell you that.

Quill gave a startled look as his face went white.

"Well kid, He's like a god after all" Walker said with another grin. "Don't worry, I heard he's in a good mood tonight."

Walker grabbed another hand full of snacks and shoved them in his face.

"I'll share a little secret with you." he said with a full mouth. "My brother was a damn hero. He died a long time ago. I always tried and wanted to be like him, but I just couldn't. I was something else."

"It got a lot better for me when i stopped trying to be like my bro, or like Steve Rogres, and I started to be John Walker." He said as he crunched away.

"We watch each other's back. Everybody pulls their weight. We do as we're told. We fight and kill what needs to be killed. _That's Avengers now_ son, and if it aint for you, jump off any time." Walker said.

Walker got up with a smile and slapped young Quill on the back.

Quill coughed as he sipped the thick beer. "This stuff tastes awful, I think it has formaldehyde in it."

Walker took a deep swig of the beer. He had already finished the bottle before Quill had had three sips. He smiled as he slapped the bottle down on the table top. He chuckled at Quill. His missing tooth glared like a black hole. _Killers_.

"It does" Walker answered. "it does better with a shot of whiskey in it"

Quill looked over at Count Nefaria , who was still staring at him. He didn't smile. Quill thought he was going to burst across the bar and slice his throat. _Killers._

Quill looked over at the squad of dirty Nova Corpsmen in the back of the bar. They looked filthy and tired, like they had just come from the swamps on PC. They sat silent and did not speak with anyone else in the bar. Several of them glared around the place like they hated everyone outside of their squad. One of them glared at Quill like he was something alien. _Killers._

James Luck looked at the Avenger and sized him up. _Star Lord , eh?_ _What a damn asshole_, Luck thought.

_The Madslashers_ looked around the place.

"So its _Madslashers_ now, eh? I like it" Redhawk said. "We should all get matching knives or tatoos."

"Flark that, I don't have any money, you buyin?" Razo said.

"Damn this place is full of first class pricks. Anyone seen Nova Prime?" Redhawk asked.

"Oh he's your pal now, Hawk?" Murfle asked.

"Wish we were down in the squad bay with the rest of the battalion, heard they had some decent hooch down there." Redhawk said.

"There's no damn Battalion anymore Hawk, I told you, we've been re classed to _the Titan's Fury_. We're Marine duty now." Crystar said. He was sharpening his sword with a small stone.

"Great." Razo said. "Just what I need, more hanging around these spacer jerks." Razo said as she pointed to a higher ranking Nova officer with a nice clean uniform.

Luck felt the tap on his shoulder. He whirled around like a tornado, startling the pretty Rigelian waitress.

"Oh sorry" Luck said as he looked around.

"No problem" She said." Happens a lot actually, Here you go." The Rigelian said as she pushed over the bucket of skrull beer filled with ice and brown bottles.

"Umm, ok, what do i owe you?" Luck asked

The Rigelian girl smiled "compliments of the young gentleman at the bar."

_The Madslashers_ all smiled when they saw the bucket.

"Damn, maybe you are Lucky" Aurora said as she grabbed a bottle.

Luck took out one of the brown bottles and passed the bucket around. Everyone but Crystar took one.

Luck looked over at the bar. He saw the newest Avenger, the son of _The Star Lord_. The Avenger waved at Luck and raised his brown bottle to the squad. Luck nodded at him in thanks.

John Walker looked over at the squad of Nova Corps. His face went white.

"Who the hell is that Denarion over there?" Walker asked as he glared at Luck. _It Can't be._

"I don't know, Rider invited them. Some Novas who did well down on PC, I guess. Figured I'd buy 'em a round." Quill responded.

Walker took a long swig from his beer.

"You Ok, John?" Quill asked. Walker was now looking into his bottle of beer like he wanted to forget what he saw.

"Yeah kid, I'm fine. I just thought I saw a _ghost _is all." Walker looked around at Richard Rider and Peter Quill at the rear of the bar in a private corner. Rider nodded at Walker.

"Let's see if this place has got any more Jack Daniels" Walker said.

Rich Rider took the yellow envelope in his hand. He unsealed the edges of the package and reached in for the object. It was a photograph.

Rider recognized the image immediately.

He was in the picture. It was not long after he first became Nova Prime. _Twenty something years ago_, Rider said to himself. He had the scar on his face from Annihilus and the green combat vest he occasionally war back then. It was the Annihilation War. Peter Quill stood next to him as Quill had his face in the diagnostic tablet. Rider was pointing to something.

In the background, there were a few of the Kree United Front soldiers milling around. A Kree regular loaded rounds in a canon. A few others posed next to a particle howitzer. One of the other soldiers stood out to Rider. He had green skin and a flat nose. It was a Badoon volunteer. The man was armed with a Kree Battle rifle and wore Kree camouflage pants. I forgot there were Badoon who joined our cause. The young Badoon sat next to another Badoon soldier. One of the Badoon flashed a peace sign with his fingers. It was clear the picture had been intended to be of the two soldiers and Rider and Quill had walked into the frame by accident.

Rider flipped over the photo. Written in pen were the words, _" United Front" Annihilation War Margoyle boys Daedalus 5, W/ Nova Prime!. Brothers in Arms._

_All Badoon looked D'ast similar, but damned if it was not a younger version of the General, _Rider thought.

Rider wonderd if the picture was a photo of General Margoyle from over twenty years ago.

_"This armor has meaning to me as well"_, The General had said.

Peter Quill took the image and looked at Rider. "Daedalus 5, I'd never forget." Quill put the picture down. "The general fought with us there? I remember we had a few Badoon with us. They were good." Quill looked at Rider. "That fight was hell."

Rider looked off, across the bar at _The Madslashers_. He saw how they talked to each other and kept to themselves. It reminded him of that war. _Brothers in Arms._

"I didn't know the General fought with us on Daedalus 5." Rider said "I heard he fought in the war, I just dont remember seeing him there."

"He didnt ,Rich." Peter Quill said as he looked into a small tablet he had. Quill looked up from the sceen.

"Those are his boys. His two sons were there." Quill said.

Quill scrolled through his data pad. He frowned.

"Both KIA on Daedalus 5," Quill said as he gave a grim look. He moved his eyes to Rider's.

"His boys died under my command" Rider said. "Damn"

Rider felt another item rattle around inside the container. _Something else_, Rider said to himself. It jingled like a metal chain. He dumped the contents of the envelop gently on the table. Quill looked on.

"What is that?" Quill asked.

The chain locket flopped on the table with a light tap. It was not made of any rare metal or gilded with any jewels. It was a small silver locket in the form of a heart.

"Oh, turns out Badoons have hearts after all" Quill joked. Rider was straight faced. _Not in a joking mood Quill._

Rider opened the locket.

Inside was a small picture of a young Badoon girl. She wore a lace headdress and a pink gown.

_Brothers in arms_, Rider thought.

He looked at Peter Quill. The Lord of the Spartax returned his gaze.

In the back ground, the eyes of _The Red Dragon_ sparkled in the dancing glow of the stars.


	24. Chapter 24

**EPILOGUE**

The large elevator hissed with the sound of well-oiled hydraulics as the lift came to a halt. The huge metal doors slid open with the rush of warm fresh air.

The six elite Badoon troopers in shimmering polished ceremonial armor escorted the female Badoon forward on to the lift. The young Badoon woman had a thick metal harness securing her hands. It was clear she was a captive and the elite Badoon infantry were her captors. The woman wore a rich white linen gown decorated with gilded green jewels and red sparkling rubies that formed bold geometric patterns. Green and red ribbons were fastened to her arms and head.

The_ B'rlk_ gown was typically reserved as a traditional Frontier Badoon funerary vestment.

The lead Badoon guard pointed his _D'rall_ spear at the woman. He gently prodded her in the lower back. He barked a cold command to move forward. Slowly, the lady walked forward and stepped on to the oily metal lift. She looked outward through the giant glass portal with her head held high and defiant.

Outside the elevator, the woman saw the sprawling stone pavilion hundreds of feet below. Massive statues of the forgotten deities known as _the Uplifted_ adorned the great square. Balloons and confetti filled the sky and the smell of burning meat and sweet roasted treats wafted up the heights. The square was filled with a throng of cheering Badoon. _Her execution was a celebration_, the woman thought. This thought disgusted her and made her stomach turn.

_Gr'lak was a mongrel world, filled with Uplifted fanatics_, the woman thought to herself. _I do not wish to die here. I am so far from home._

The woman stood tall and looked at mob below. Behind her, the huge metal doors closed and the guards entered the elevator along her side. They held their spears in a formal upright manner and stood motionless at attention. Two of the Badoon moved forward and took up positions near the glass portal.

The massive gears of the machine began to hiss. With a laborious creak, the lift slowly move downward.

The woman gazed at the mass of people down below_. I wonder if any of my friends are in the crowd?_. From this height, she could barely make out the large stone platform where the most important Badoon stood in formation. On a higher pedestal, still on the platform, a massive Badoon stood at the ready with a gleaming metal axe. Next to him was the local, _Hod'gen_. _He was probably a High Priest. Someone official to read the order of termination._

She could not resist the tears as the elevator slowly dropped toward the crowd. _This was it_. In her heart, she knew it was for the best. She had already lost so much in this war. Her mother. Her brothers. Friends. And now, very likely, her father. _I have no one anymore anyways_. _He must have failed them_, she thought. _This is my prize for his service to Badoon_. _What horrid times we live in_, she thought to herself as the tears fell to the dirty metal floor.

She wondered if they would throw garbage at her as she walked to the executioner_. I only wish I knew why I was being put to death_, she said to herself.

Suddenly, the smell of oil and burning gears changed to something akin to fresh ozone and lavender. The two Badoon in front of her flickered and distorted. The Badoon behind her shouted something. The woman looked at the two Badoon in shining armor as they faded and morphed into two grotesque figures with snarling faces. The woman knew these monsters well. _Dire Wraiths_?

_The only Wraiths the Universe had seen in twenty years were in the service of one man…my father_, she thought to herself. _But he was a Galaxy away.._

In that same split second, the view in front of her distorted as well. A cloaking device. Something dark appeared out of nowhere, it blocked her view to the pavilion below. It was a man, or a _thing_…it moved quickly. _It was all a blur of blades and glowing red._

The woman felt the push on her shoulder as she was shoved to the ground. She hit hard and stayed down. The lady curled up in a ball as the killers above shuffled and crashed. Briefly, laser fire erupted in the small space. The air smelled of burnt scale. The woman could hear the slice of spears and of knives through armor. A Badoon gurgled and shrieked as the blood spilled and he dropped to the floor. A crunch and a gurgle. Four others dropped soon after. It was over in only seconds.

The hand grabbed her on the ground. It felt strong and cold. The icy grasp wrapped around her upper arm and yanked her up with speed and power.

The man was dressed in black armor with glowing red eyes. A large glowing amulet was on his chest. Underneath his arms, he had some sort of metal wings. _The man was an assassin_, she thought. _The Fraternity of Raptors. The old rhyme rang in her head. The Raptors were just a fairy tale._

"Miss J'ona Margoyle?" The thing said in a rough robotic voice. The two dire wraiths gibbered behind the man as they cleaned up the bodies. "Daughter of General P'rag Margoyle?"

"Y.. Y.. Yes" The woman said as she stared at the masked man. She desperately tried to hold back the tears. She was a tough woman, but she was not a warrior.

"My name is Chris Powell, I was sent by your father, I'm here to get you out of here." The _Powell _said as he extended his hand.

J'ona did not know what to say. _What was happening?_

A small laser came from the knight's hand and burned into J'ona's wrists. The metal manacles dropped to the ground with a clank.

The black knight grabbed J'ona's hand and dropped in a small metal object. It was her silver locket that she had given her father so many years ago. She struggled to hold back the tears as she nodded her head. _He did not leave me behind._

The man grabbed J'ona by the hand. He looked quickly out glass portal. The elevator was still hundreds of feet in the air and descending slowly. _What will he do? There is no escape_, she thought.

The red laser shot out again. This time, it carved a large circle in the sheet glass in the window below. With a kick from Powell, the glass dropped outward, toward the throng of Badoon below. He stepped up on the edge of the lift and looked up with no fear. Far below, muffled shouts and screams could be heard.

The black assassin grabbed around J'ona's waist and fastened some kind of clip. His grip was like iron as he secured her to his waist.

Without hesitation, he leapt outward to the sky. J'ona held firmly onto his back as they sailed like hawks in the sky. The metal clip felt secure and kept her in place. His arms spread out and metal wings flashed. The pair caught a draft of air and flew through the sky and upward, high above the throng of blood crazed Badoon below.

_They would not see my blood spilled on this day_, J'ona thought. She could barely make out the disappointment on the officious Hod'gen's face as he pointed to the sky in confusion.

The Badoon woman held tight to the _Dark Hawk_ as she closed her eyes and flew out into the night.

**THE END**


End file.
